Wanderers
by Another Lone Ranger
Summary: Sequel to 'Renegade' This story picks up one year after the end of Renegade. A shadow of the past has forced Akio and Soujiro to seperate, introducing many misadventures--but can they reunite before it's too late?
1. Separation

Well here we are my lovely readers, the sequel to Renegade. This picks up one year after the end of the last fic and I most sincerely hope that everyone likes this story as much as you did the last one. It's ripe with adventure and intrigue, as well as misadventures with the Kenshin-gumi! Enjoy!  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin, but I own Akio. For now, that's good enough for me.  
  
Chapter 1: Separation  
  
The train whistle signaled that it was a few minutes from leaving the station. The station was surprisingly empty for this time of day in this type of town. It wasn't a large city, only a prosperous port town, but the train in the station was bound for Tokyo, one of the biggest cities in all of Japan. The lack of potential passengers could have been because of the lateness of the hour, but this train was more for hauling cargo then people.  
  
Two figures stood alone to the side of the platform. A man and a woman. They both carried small bags over their shoulder's, holding the only meager possessions they owned. The woman also had a small sack slung over her shoulder, criss-crossing the strap that held the sword on her back. A wooden bokken was also at her hip. A similar weapon was on the hip of her male companion, those his was far better crafted. They huddled together in the corner of the platform, not wishing to be seen or heard by anyone else.  
  
The woman was young, looking to be no older then eighteen. She was dressed as a man, the clothing accenting her slim waist. Her thick black hair was cut short, just above her chin, where it framed her face. And it was a pretty face indeed. Her eyes were large and deep green, set into an ivory complexion. But she despite the soft curves of her features and body, there was a stubborn set to her chin and she held herself with the aura of a warrior. Her name was Akio.  
  
The man was also young, not much older then his female companion. But he had the advantage of being taller by several inches. His brown hair was grown out and shaggy, falling around the collar of his shirt. His skin was tanner then his companion's, but it made his dark brown eyes stand out in his face. Eyes that turned into an almost blue gray color whenever he felt an intense emotional surge. He was a handsome young man, a smile never far from his face, even if it was a fake one. One would not expect the skill and cunning he had with a blade from one such as he. His name was Soujiro  
  
"Please Soujiro, don't make me leave..." Akio pleaded, holding on to the front of his shirt with both of her hands. "I don't want to go."  
  
"Akio..." Soujiro leaned forward, resting his forehead against hers, bringing his arms around her. "We've been through this."  
  
"But I don't want to go any more now then I did yesterday!" she replied stubbornly, tears forming in her emerald eyes. "You're incorrigible!"  
  
"And you're pretty when you yell at me," he responded with his usual, lazy smile. Akio snorted and leaned into him, inhaling his scent and willing away the pain in her chest that burned hotter then any forge fire at the thought of leaving his side.  
  
"Soujiro, don't change the subject," she whispered, meeting his dark gaze. The wane light made the tears in her eyes sparkle like diamonds. Soujiro reached up and brushed his thumb along her cheekbone, catching the first of her tears to fall.  
  
"I'm sorry," he apologized in a soft voice. "But you know this is what we have to do."  
  
"No, no it isn't," Akio protested. "I could stay here with you, we could face them together! Sending me to Tokyo will not stop him, or change what can happen. It'll only mean that we're apart and things will get worse."  
  
"Akio, I can't let anything happen to you. You'll be safer in Tokyo--"  
  
"I'm safe when I'm with you," she whispered, raising her hands to the sides of his face. "Can't you see that? You and me, we're stronger together then apart. We can face this!"  
  
"No," he shook his head, covering her hands with his own. "Not this time. We're dealing with things far too dangerous."  
  
"How is it possibly more dangerous now then it was back in Renko Village?" she hissed, pulling away from him and turning away. Akio hugged herself and bit her bottom lip to keep from crying harder. "It's still just Ryu."  
  
"It's not just him anymore. This is bigger then just Ryu, and bigger then what happened in your village Akio. We don't know where he is, who he's working for or with...we don't even know where he is! All we know is that he knows where 'we' are."  
  
"It doesn't matter," Akio said firmly. "I won't abandon your side."  
  
Soujiro wrapped his arms around Akio's waist and pulled her against him, lending his warmth to the shivering girl. "I can't protect you if I'm worrying about you."  
  
"So you expect me to run away and hide while you risk your life? Where's the fairness in that?"  
  
"There isn't any," he said into her ear. His breath was warm against her cheek and Akio leaned back further into him, needing the feeling of his support. "If this was fair, you and me could travel anywhere we wanted without having to look over our shoulders and sleep with one eye open. We could stop running."  
  
"But it isn't fair," Akio whispered. "Because somehow, someway, Mori Ryu survived my attack. Because somehow, someway, he's following us with unseen eyes and I'm tried of it. He finally came into the open to us Soujiro, we finally know that it's him. Please, please don't send me away."  
  
She turned in his arms, bringing up her fingers to run through his hair as she met his eyes. Soujiro was torn between the overwhelming desire to keep her at his side, and the desire to keep her safe. Now that the enemy had been identified--and revenge openly declared--Akio was in more danger then ever. There was no guarantee that he could protect her. And fighting for his life, while defending hers, would only kill them both. Soujiro had spent many long hours and thought out many plans, but this seemed to be the best--no, the 'only' way to ensure her safety. If they separated, then he could throw his life into risky situations without thinking about repercussions. He could risk his own life recklessly, in order to take out what was threatening hers.  
  
"Akio...if there was any other way..." What else was there to say? His mind was drawing a blank. Here she was, this lost angel in his arms, looking at him with those emerald eyes that he loved so well. It hurt him deeper then she could ever know to force her away like this. 'But it's for her own good!' he told himself. And yet, he couldn't shake the feeling that he would regret this decision once it was made.  
  
Akio closed her eyes, silent tears running down her face, and nodded her head. "I'd get in the way, I know. I just...I can't..."  
  
"What Akio?" Soujiro asked, tucking a strand of her short jet-black hair behind her ear and tilting her face up so he could meet her eyes. Her emerald eyes were darkened by stark sadness, and it reflected in a pale complexion of her skin. Soujiro had to stop himself from breaking down and begging her to stay when he looked into the face of the woman he loved.  
  
"I don't want to be alone again," she whispered, eyes welling and spilling over. "I can't go back to the way I was."  
  
Soujiro shook his head and hugged her to him as the train whistle sounded again. It was the last call. Akio had to get on the train, it was now or never. "You'll never have to be alone again Akio. No matter what, I'm here. And even though we're apart, you're with me and I'm with you. And I swear to you, I will find you before this is over."  
  
Akio pulled back and was about to protest when he silenced her, covering her mouth with his own. The kissing was gentle, a haunting good-bye kiss. The lingering kind that stains the lips for hours, days, for years worth of memories. This was one of those kisses that was laced with emotions, good and bad. Akio's shed tears mingled with it as they were both reluctant to break apart.  
  
Soujiro was the one to back away, leading her to the entrance of the train. Akio looked from him to the train and back again. Soujiro ushered her on to the first step. She turned back and pulled him to her again, kissing him possessively and passionately. It was a last plea to stay. And though Soujiro returned it just as fiercely as she had initiated it, he would not lessen his resolve.  
  
"Stay in Tokyo and lay low," he told her, brushing a few tears from her face and the train whistled once last time. Now it was leaving.  
  
"I will," she assured him, holding his hand to her face.  
  
"It's a big city, easy to get lost, but I know you can handle yourself. I'll find you there as soon as I can, but don't get into trouble." The train had started pulling out now, so Soujiro moved to stay along with her.  
  
"I won't get into trouble. I'm not like you," she said with a smile.  
  
"That's my girl," he said, smiling back. She released his hand as he jogged alongside her now, almost to the end of the platform. "Once this is over, and we can find some place to settle, you'll have to marry me you know."  
  
Akio smiled serenely at him, as if she had been waiting for such a remark, but was not at all surprised. "I'll think about it," she replied, but the train was moving faster now and Soujiro was getting left behind on the platform. "I love you," she called.  
  
"I love you too. Don't worry, I'll see you soon!" He waved as the train left faster and Akio disappeared inside the car. Soujiro's arm fell to his side and his fist closed over the hilt of the wooden sword at his side.  
  
Now the problem was simple. He had to find Mori Ryu, and whoever was helping him, and finish the job that Akio began in Renko Village one year ago. He'd kill that man for everything he had put the two wanderers through in the last few months. Oh yes, he'd pay dearly for their trouble. But most of all he'd pay for this, forcing him to do the one thing that Seta Soujiro vowed he would never do--force Akio from his side.  
  
Okay, here we are! Remember, your reviews are always appreciated! I'll update later this week, promise!  
  
~~Jesse the Wolf Demon~~ 


	2. Tokyo

Readers--here we are, chapter 2. I hope to get 3 up by Friday or Saturday. I have outlined this story and give it approximately 17 chapters. And because they are separated, I'm going to be jumping from one to another. Chapter 2 is about Akio, chapter 3 will be Soujiro, and back and forth like that. If there is any confusion, just say 'Jesse, what the hell--?' and I'll understand. Okay then, Enjoy!  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Captain Sagara or Soujiro, all I own in Akio. She is the wind beneath my wings--so to speak. *cough*  
  
Chapter 2: Tokyo  
  
The train slowed gradually as it entered the Tokyo station that afternoon, but the sudden halting motion still jerked Akio awake. She jumped, startled, when the whistle blew. Blinking red eyes, Akio looked around her small cabin and cursed herself for falling asleep. She stretched, working all of the kinks from her back, before assessing all of her belongings to make sure they were all still with her.   
  
The small duffle bag that held her clothes was untouched on the seat beside her. The bokken at her waist and her grandfather's sword were still on her person. Her fingers quickly went to the small sling bag that hug over her chest. She felt around all of her personal belongings, but found them all accounted for. With a sigh of relief, Akio pulled out the red headband from the bag and tied it tightly around her forehead. It was important to feel her fiercest in a new place.  
  
There was a knock at the cabin door and one of the train workers poked his head inside the room. "Pardon me Miss," he said with a cheery smile. "But we've arrived."  
  
"Thank you," Akio said, returning his smile. He disappeared again, leaving Akio to gather her things and ready to disembark. It wasn't really that bad. Sure there was a red mark on her face from falling asleep against the window and she didn't know where she was going, that wasn't much of a change. In the past year, she'd traveled to many cities and new towns that she had never even heard of. There was only one major difference between them and Tokyo. This time, she was alone.  
  
That familiar place in her chest suddenly ached unbearably. It only reminded her all the more violently that she woke up alone in this cabin. There was no smile greeting her, no remark for her to laugh at, no idle conversation. There was no one's hand to hold as the nervous butterflies of anticipation grew in her stomach. There was no shoulder to lean her head upon. There was simply no Soujiro. She had to face this one all on her own. But worst of all was not knowing what he was doing, not knowing if he was safe.  
  
Rage suddenly grew in her and Akio let loose a fist against the wall of the cabin. "Selfish man!" she yelled in pain and frustration. "What am I supposed to do if something happens to you?" The last question was a loud whisper to the un-yielding wall. Then she fell back into her seat, covering her face with her hands until she had herself under control again. Angry tears worked themselves from the corners of her eyes and she brushed them away as she rushed to leave the train. Worrying about Soujiro wouldn't make him come any sooner. It would only make it seem like he was gone longer.  
  
'Okay Akio,' she thought as she stepped into the bright sunlight of the Tokyo train station. 'No thinking about that baka and all the trouble he could be getting into without you to keep him in line.' That brought a little watery smile to her face.   
  
Tokyo was really a beautiful city--but was it ever busy! It seemed to Akio that absolutely everyone in the entire city was in a hurry to get somewhere or there was somewhere important that they had to be. She watched in fascination as they bustled around, making random guesses that this person was going there and that person was going here. She even thought about the reason behind a few purchases.  
  
'Oh yes, that woman is buying flowers from that man for her sick daughter. And that man is buying a pound of tofu to make dinner for his wife.' It was a fun game she often played with Soujiro, thinking of the most creative reason behind a human reaction.  
  
She was so lost in thought that she hadn't realized where she was wandering. Tokyo was also a very easy place to get lost because it was busy and large. People pushed her this way and that, some giving her strange looks for her apparel and what she carried with her. Akio only met their gazes unflinchingly and smiled. It was something she had picked up from Soujiro. In the face of anything, if you smile, people will leave you alone.  
  
Yes, Akio had to admit that she would be safe here in Tokyo. None of Ryu's henchmen, the ones who had been following them for the past few months, would ever suspect that Akio would go into so large a city alone. But even at the price of safety, Akio felt the withering sadness. Not once in their year together had Akio and Soujiro been apart, not even for one night. When Akio had fallen ill that time, months earlier, Soujiro had stayed at her side until she was well again. When Soujiro had gotten injured in a battle, Akio had taken care of him until they could move on. They had been inseparable. Now, driven to the winds out of fear, they were so very far apart. Soujiro knew that no one would be able to find her in Tokyo, so in Tokyo she was. But where he had gone...it only made Akio sick to her stomach to think about. Sometimes she wondered if she loved him too much for her own good.   
  
As the day wore on, Akio bought something to eat on her walk with the money that she carried with her. Wandering without a destination had lost it's mystery somewhere between the food markets and the neighborhood by the river.  
  
As a form of entertainment, Akio opted to window shop. She gazed at all the expensive and mostly useless artifacts left for display by countless artisans and tradesmen. She paused the longest at a man selling artwork caricatures. Many of them were well drawn warrior portraits, and Akio had always dragged Soujiro over to look at them. Somewhere in her deepest heart she hoped that she might find something that would lead her to her father. Because over the year she had traveled with Soujiro, she had never given up searching for anything that might lead her to his identity. Her father was once a warrior, after all.   
  
So far, the only thing she had been able to discover was that the symbolic red headband that graced her own forehead was a mark of a past government army called the Sekihotai. They were a band of farmers and craftsmen turned warriors that were marked as false and executed before the end of the revolution. That had killed any of the secret hopes of finding him still alive in Akio's heart. And it also made her wonder if perhaps her father wasn't the honorable man her mother had painted him to be. Maybe the man Akio hoped to find never existed. He was, after all, only the fantasy created in the mind of a love-starved girl.  
  
Akio scanned the racks of art and struck up a conversation with the man selling them. "Good day to you, miss," he said pleasantly. Akio smiled.  
  
"Hello sir."  
  
"Are you looking for anyone in particular?" he asked, returning her smile. "We have many a fine warrior portrait that would entreat the eye of a pretty girl like yourself."  
  
Akio shook her head, her black hair falling into her face, and blushed while smiling. "No, I'm just looking. They are all so lovely, I don't think I would have the heart to choose just one."  
  
"Ah, a lover of art?" he asked, a sparkle in his eye at the potential buyer.  
  
Akio laughed and grinned. "Only some art. My mother was an artist, so I guess you could say that it's in my blood."  
  
"Really now?" Akio smiled and reached into her sling bag to retract one of her mother's various sketches. They were mostly of her father, but there was one of Akio after she was first born, and one of her just before her mother's life ended. The flimsy papers she held in her hands were the dearest things in the world to her. Akio held out her favorite sketch of her father to the man.  
  
"She had talent," she said proudly as the man let out a low whistle at the paper.  
  
"I'll say. She should sell her work, I'd get a dozen buyers a day."  
  
Akio smiled a little sadly. "My mother died years ago. The paper in her hand is one of the only ones surviving. It's of my father."  
  
"Really?" he looked from her to the sketch. "Yes, I can see the resemblance. But if I may," he commented, handing the paper back to her and reaching behind him. "This particular model was used by others as well. I think this drawing does the most justice." He handed Akio a larger, color and detailed drawing of the very man in the sketch she had just put away.  
  
Akio's face paled as she took the paper, and her heart skipped a few beats. There, on the paper, plain as day, was her father. His dark hair, the red headband, the handsome features--it was the same in her mother's drawings. This was him!   
  
"Where did you get this?" Akio breathed, tearing her eyes from the portrait to meet the gaze of the salesmen.   
  
"Oh, it's a bad seller. Not many people want to buy a portrait of the leader of the Sekihotai, now do they. But no disrespect to you, miss," he recovered himself quickly.  
  
Akio regained her composure fast. "Can you tell me where I can find the artist who made this?"  
  
"Well yes--"  
  
"I'll pay you for the address, please." It was the please that swayed him, that and the desperate look in her emerald eyes.  
  
"Of course." He took another copy of the same drawing and scribbled an address on the back of the paper, then passed it to her. "No charge. I hope you find what you're looking for."  
  
"So do I, thank you," Akio said with a respectful bow. "Thank you very much." Then she turned and vanished amidst the chaos of the city street.   
  
Akio was swallowed up by the people. But her hands were sweating and shaking and her mind was racing only a millisecond slower then her heart was beating. Finally, she could meet someone who knew her father--or at the very least, knew of him. She gazed at the picture once more, hungrily taking in everything about him. It didn't escape her notice that two small boys were also in the drawing along with the man. There was also a name in the top corner of the page--Sagara Souzou, the captain of the Sekihotai. For the first time in her life, Akio had a name to put to the man who gave her life.  
  
"Sagara..." she breathed, then laughed to herself. "Sagara Akio, is it wrong that I don't like it?" In her mind, Seta Akio sounded much better.  
  
Yay! What'd ya think of chapter 2? Review and tell me, muhahahaha! I've even been thinking that I might actually make a third installment of this series. A trilogy, if you will. But this is only an idea. I'll be dropping little questions in my a/n's throughout this fic so you'll have to give me your opinions of it. Anyway, shoutouts for my 3 reviewers! (I love you guys…*sniffle*)  
  
pruningshears: Ah, my favorite reviewer. Back for more, eh? I'm really happy you did! Yes yes, this fic will be very exciting! You'll probably end up hating me for what I will do. But remember, it's all in the name of drama and action--and I always have a happy ending! I'm so happy you like Akio. She is probably my favorite female character that I ever created--next to this one I made for a comic strip I do. *cough* Yes, Ryu did have a bitch recovering, for which I will go into more detail in chapter 3 when I reintroduce his character. Thanks for the review!  
  
Ken: Well, she does meet them, but it's really more of an accident that she does. I can't have a story without a villain, and I loved writing how horrible Ryu was so much that I had to let him live. How he survived and what he's after now I'll leave for later chapters. Arigato for the review!  
  
Kenshin44: So we meet again! Sorry to keep you waiting, but I wanted to collect my thoughts and plan out a really good story for the sequel. I think it's wicked, hehe. I'm glad you like it so far. Yes it is sad to separate them so early on, but they have been together for a year now, and I need them apart for this story to go like I want it to. Akio has her own adventure while Soujiro…I'll leave that for later. Yes, Akio is in Tokyo, where everyone else is, so there will be much Kenshin-gumi action, have no fear! Thanks for the review!  
  
Dragons Maiden: Yes sequel--didn't I promise a sequel? Yes...maybe even a trilogy, muhahah! Update is now, yes! Thanks for the review!  
  
Remember, a review a day keeps me away from your room with a chainsaw! *innocent smile*  
  
~~Jesse the Wolf Demon~~ 


	3. A Less Than Happy Reunion

Don't be fooled by the title, this is not the reunion of Akio and Soujiro--they don't meet up again for several chapters. This refers to everyone's favorite character--RYU! *cheers* I love him, he's such an a-hole, lol. Anyway, this chapter is all about Soujiro! Enjoy!  
  
Disclaimer: If you wish upon on a star, wish that Soujiro will become mine, okay? I'd keep him in my closest for sure!  
  
Chapter 3: A Less Than Happy Reunion  
  
Soujiro didn't sleep at all that night. All he did was walk along the road in the darkness. Sleep was far from him that night because how could he sleep without her beside him? He knew that if he dared to sleep, the moment he closed his eyes, the nightmares would seize him. All the peaceful nights he had enjoyed the past year would be gone, and he would fall back into the old pattern of his life. Without Akio to be his charm against evil, nothing would be like it should. It would only be like it was.  
  
When dawn found him, Soujiro had moved on to another village. The residents had only begun to arise as he passed through. Children speckled the streets, laughing and playing until their mothers would call them in for breakfast. Men and women opened shops and restaurants and inns to the world. Soujiro watched them as he walked by, envious of their oblivious good fortune. He didn't stop, only kept moving. Someday he'd have that kind of life, he vowed to himself. One day he'd settle down and marry Akio--if she agreed that is. And then he could have that loving family that he had always secretly wanted.   
  
Thoughts of a happy future. Hell, Soujiro felt he was just lucky to even 'have' a future. Let alone someone to share his future with. He counted himself lucky all right, and unworthy. But one doesn't question good fortune, or it's likely to disappear as if it's never been. And that would be tragic indeed. To Soujiro, life without Akio would be no life at all.  
  
Just the thought of Akio made his heart beat faster and brought a genuine smile to his face. She was, by far, the strangest girl he had ever met. And she was the only girl he had ever loved--or would ever love. How he wished she was at his side! Akio had this presence, this air to her that made him feel calm and at ease. It was the little things she did, the subtle movements and gestures she did that would go unnoticed to anyone who didn't know her that well. It was how she was such a faster learner, and a talented swordswoman. Since they had begun their travels, Soujiro had taken it upon himself to teach Akio more advanced sword-play, and she was an apt pupil indeed. It was how she sensed his emotions, knowing when to give him space or to take his hand. It was the way her black hair would fall into her emerald eyes. Mostly it was her eyes. Huge and green and vivid with life. Bright whenever she smiled and expressive with whatever she felt. Her eyes were what gave him hope because she had always seen him, seen him for what he was and she had never asked him to change.  
  
Soujiro day-dreamed of her for most of the day, but his feet never faltered from their path. He knew where he was going, and he knew not to stop. He knew not to go off course. His contact had given him specific information, and Seta Soujiro knew when to obey and when to rebel. This was not a matter to rebel against, it was something to be taken seriously.  
  
"Go down the road up the coast for twenty miles," his contact had told him. They had met the day before, just before Soujiro bought Akio a train ticket to Tokyo. "There will be a village at the end of the road called Ikki. There is a road leading to the west, take it. It will lead you to a beach port. North from there will be where you want to go. The mansion housing one Mori Ryu, and a collection of his government associates."  
  
Well, Soujiro was in Ikki Village, and he was heading west now. By nightfall, he would be at the hideout of Ryu, the hated man who had tried to kill him and Akio in her home village a year earlier. Maybe a head-on assault was not the brightest of plans, especially when he was alone, but he had to silence Ryu once and for all. He had to keep Akio and himself safe. It was a vow he had made to himself when he had let Akio come with him. He would keep her safe. That's why he sent her away from his side to a foreign city. That's why she was so far from him, when all he desperately wanted was for her to put her arms around him right then. He was beginning to seriously doubt his sanity.  
  
"Get a hold of yourself Seta," he scolded aloud, gripping his bokken. The wooden sword's leather-clad hilt was perfectly worn. A gift from Akio, when they were in serious danger. It never left his side. Holding the sword in his hand made him feel a little better. Maybe the woman herself wasn't at his side, but he had that little piece for himself. It helped to firm his resolve.   
  
Twilight came as Soujiro reached the shore side harbors. He looked north, along the beachfront and saw it. Leering against the setting sun was a huge mansion house, set into a large cliff on the coast. It seemed to be carved into the stone cliff itself. Lights burns around the mansion, and he could see people on the sandy beaches around it, even from the distance. He knew he'd have to call upon all his skills to get inside, but he would do it. He had to.  
  
Creeping up the coastline, hugging the rock face, he was able to get close enough to the manor as darkness fell so that he could be relatively unseen in the darkness. The fires were stoked higher, shrinking the precious darkness that Soujiro depended on. He hid and crept, crept and hid, making sure he was unseen. Guards stood around, looking into every darkened corner and listening intently to every sound.  
  
These were no mere band of thugs like the group that had intended to attack Renko Village. These were highly trained ninjas, and they would hone in on his presence if he didn't move quickly and quietly. It was a challenge, but Soujiro always did enjoy a good challenge. 'Now seems like as good a time as any to test out my shikuchi,' he thought with a grim smile. 'Let's see if I can still do it.'   
  
There were three guards at the right of the door, four on the left. He'd have to bring them down in a quick sweep, before they could fight against him or call for reinforcements. Soujiro gripped the hilt of his sword and tapped his right foot rhythmically. Then he tapped the left one. Then he leapt slightly and took off. In the space of two eye-blinks, Soujiro had knocked all seven men unconscious, and strolled into the mansion hideout through the front door.  
  
"Is this all you have Ryu?" Soujiro asked the empty hallways.  
  
"Why no, it isn't," a voice answered him. Soujiro whirled, bokken poised for the attack. But there was no one behind him. There was no one in front of him. "This way, Tenken, this way," the voice called from in front of him now. Soujiro was hesitant to follow, instincts screaming 'trap'. In the end, he followed the voice.  
  
It led him into a small room, where the huge wooden doors slammed behind him. It was a trap, of course, set by none other then Mori Ryu himself. The room Soujiro was trapped in looked like a training room of a dojo. The floors were hard-wood and weapons hung on the walls. There were lanterns lighting the entire room, and there was another door on the opposite side of the room. In the doorway stood Mori Ryu himself. He was dressed plainly, in a white kimono of good quality. He was thinner then Soujiro remembered him to be at Renko Village, and looked weaker. Hair hung limply around his face, his skin was a sickly pale color, his features were sunken, and he looked highly upset.  
  
"You came alone I see, how unfortunate. I had hoped that Akio would be here to enjoy this..." His disappointment was clear in his voice. Soujiro clenched his fists and ground his teeth together.  
  
"She's safe, away from you," he spat. "I doubt you'll get the privilege to see her again."  
  
"Really now? How sad...I guess I'll just have to kill you later then." The matter-of-fact tone he used could be used by someone commenting on the weather or the tide. Ryu held up his hand and snapped his fingers. Out of the bleak shadows appeared two ninja that Soujiro hadn't noticed. "These are my two most loyal pets," Ryu explained smugly. "Boys," he addressed the ninjas. "Play all you want, but keep him alive." One his heel, Ryu turned and walked through the door. It slammed loudly behind him.  
  
The two ninja broke apart to circle Soujiro. By now, Soujiro had moved away from the door, knowing that you should never corner yourself near a while when you're outnumbered in a fight. The wooden sword was in his hands, poised for the strike.   
  
The ninja worked as if they were one person, simultaneously removing throwing stars from the pouches at their side and hurling them at Soujiro. He dodged, falling to the floor and rolling to safety, but was still cut on his leg, shoulder, and cheek. Soujiro recovered his footing quickly, and moved into a shikuchi stance. The first ninja rushed him, which Soujiro easily evaded, but the second ninja had disappeared back into the shadows.  
  
Soujiro fought one-on-one with the ninja, who had pulled two daggers from thin air. It was a dance of sorts. Soujiro would attack with a few even strokes--easily blocked by the ninja. And his opponent would come back with a few slashes and stabs which Soujiro was fast enough to dodge without haste. Finally, fed up with the touch-and-go scenario, Soujiro struck hard and leapt back. It put enough distance between him and his opponent where he could use his most powerful technique.  
  
But before he could complete the shikuchi ritual, Soujiro was jumped from behind by the second ninja. Momentarily forgotten, he had circled around, letting the other ninja back him into a corner. Twisting to face both opponents evenly, Soujiro was overtaken. The ninja with the daggers came from the left, forcing him on the defensive. The second ninja had a short katana, which he used to go at Soujiro's legs, making him jump up and back so often he couldn't hold ground. Fast as Soujiro was, skilled as Soujiro was, both ninja were as highly trained and as fast as he was. More over, there were two of them. Finally, Seta Soujiro was simply taken down.   
  
The second ninja's sword seemed to vanish and he moved in closer, a few small needles in his hands. Soujiro didn't get a better look at them before the ninja made a few subtle movements, inserting the needles into vital points on Soujiro's neck. The sword fell from his hands and he crumpled to the floor, unable to move.  
  
"He was a skilled one," the first ninja commented to the second.  
  
"Oh yes, we should keep him," said the second.  
  
"You know where to hit him. Once he forgets, then we can make him ours. To serve Master Ryu, of course."  
  
"Of course."   
  
Soujiro had a few choice words for that, but then there was a huge club to the back of his head. Pain exploded in his skull, from the roots of his hair to the tips of his toes. Blackness clouded his vision. The last conscious thought in his head was the realization that he may never wake up. He had failed her. Failed the only person who had ever needed him. 'I am sorry Akio...'   
  
Then everything faded and Soujiro went limp. The two ninjas lifted him from the ground and carried him through the doorway Ryu had went though. Ryu waited behind the door, sitting in a large chair, his head in his hands. He looked up when they came in.  
  
"He's subdued?" he asked.  
  
"Yes Master Ryu," they replied together.   
  
"Good," he said, a ghost of a smile on his face. "Take him to the dungeon."  
  
"Master," one of the ninjas said hesitantly. "We took the liberty of erasing his memory. He is very skilled, this boy you called Tenken. He would make a good edition to our team."  
  
Ryu looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "You erased his memory? How can you be sure?"  
  
"It is part of our skills," the second ninja replied. "We know pressure points of the body, especially the brain. If a person is hit in the right place, it will block all human recollection, without taking away from physical performance. When he wakes up, he'll be a fighting machine."  
  
Ryu's face broke into a frighteningly dark grin. "Excellent. I'll have a few jobs for him then. Inform me when he wakes."  
  
"Yes Master," they said again, taking their charge to the dungeon, where he was locked away until he would wake.   
  
Yes, I shall leave you all in suspense right here. The next chapter is about Akio, so don't expect to find out anything new on the Soujiro front for another chapter--muhahahaha! I want you all to get frustrated as to what's going on. I think I planned this fic out good! *hugs outline* Such a good outline! Okay, shout out time!!!  
  
Dragons Maiden: *pockets the dime* I don't know nothing 'bout no dime. *cough* I'm glad you're so happy! I'm happy that you're happy….so everyone's happy! Thanks for the review--keep reading!  
  
Pruningshears: Yes, she knows her father's name. You never really know anything about Captain Sagara other then his Sekihotai ties, you notice? He was just Sano's mentor, but you know nothing of the man himself. Therefore, I gave him a true love and a daughter he didn't even know, all in one fic. Damn I'm good. Akio does go to see Katsu--and meets Sano while she's there. Then we see her first interactions with the dojo peeps--especially a little situation between her and Kaoru, but I won't spoil the next chapter.  
  
Luna: Continued--just for you! ^-^ Thanks for the review, please keep reading!  
  
Crasyducky: I'm glad you liked this and my other fic. I do hope my stories are good since I put soo much time into them. Thanks for the review!   
  
Thank you all for reading and reviewing--feel free to continue. *cheesy grin, revs the chainsaw*  
  
~~Jesse the Wolf Demon~~ 


	4. Truth and Denial

Readers--Yes, sorry this chapter took so long. I had a hard week of school and I came down with a case of writer's block, ack! But I hope to get five up this week--possibly 6 also since I have this week off, yay!--but I may be turning this into a once-a-week series since I am swamped with schoolwork as of late. Forgive me!  
  
Disclaimer: Don't own any of the characters except Akio, her story, and her pretty sword. *hugs sword*  
  
Chapter 4: Truth and Denial  
  
Akio checked and checked again the address that the art vender had given her. She was forced to stop three times for directions, really having no idea where she was going in so large a place. The signs on the streets helped, but not enough. It had been an ordeal for her to get anyone to stop long enough to help her. And here she was again, lost in an unknown part of Tokyo, with the address of a man who didn't even know her.   
  
Akio sighed dejectedly, and ran a hand through her hair. The headband came off with it. Akio ran her fingers over the worn red cloth. "It seemed like a good idea at the time Dad," she said with another sigh. Then she tucked the headband once more into her bag. Once that was done, she began her arduous task of finding someone to help her again.  
  
"Excuse me, could you--"  
  
"Brush off kid, I've got things to do."  
  
"I'm just looking for this--"  
  
"Please leave me be, I'm already late!"  
  
"I'm terribly sorry, but do you know where I could find--"  
  
"Sod off!"  
  
Akio bit her bottom lip to keep out the obscenities that were on the tip of her tongue. There was one good thing about traveling in the company of a man, they never minded when you gave an oath or swore at the annoying masses. But if she was ever to get any help, it wouldn't be by raving like a lunatic in the middle of one of the biggest cities in Japan. "Won't anyone help me?" she muttered, eyes toward the heavens.  
  
"You need help?" asked a voice from behind her. Akio swiveled her head to see if someone was addressing her. Her green eyes widened when she was that there was a rather large man standing a little ways behind her. He was dressed in white, with an open jacket, and his hands were in his pockets. What drew her gaze was the red headband that was around his head, the ends gently blowing in the breeze. His hair was spiky and a rich brown--lighter then Soujiro's--and his eyes were light brown as well. From her quick assessment, Akio could have sworn he was a fighter-for-hirer type, a street fighter, but there was something in the way he stood that made her change that opinion. He looked to be the trustworthy sort, and was rather attractive in his own way.  
  
"Yes," Akio replied with a sheepish smile. She blushed a little despite her sincerest efforts. If Soujiro were there, he'd do the talking for her. If Soujiro were there, Akio would just be blissfully unaware. But Soujiro wasn't there, and Akio had to do this on her own. Fear was not an option, there was only action. "I'm afraid that I'm lost."  
  
The helpful man gave her a cocky smile. "Where are you going?" he asked, taking a few steps closer. Akio held out to him the paper with the address scribbled on it.  
  
"I'm looking for the man that lives here," she explained. "He's an artist and I need a few words with him."  
  
Her rescuer merely blinked at the address, then looked at her in a startled way, then back at the address. "Well, I can take you here," he said slowly. "This is the address of a friend of mine."  
  
Akio beamed at him. "Really? I would truly appreciate it if you could help me!"  
  
"Sure," he said after a few seconds. "I can never turn down a pretty girl in need." He flashed her that cocky smile again and Akio blushed darker. "Follow me." He strode off in the way that Akio had originally come from. She mentally thanked herself for not just blurting out that she had come from there a few moments ago. He didn't need to know she was any more of a simpleton. "So what's your name?" he asked, making idle conversation. "Can't say I've seen you hanging around the Thieves Quarter much. Especially since you carry two swords with you."  
  
"I'm Akio," she responded automatically. "And I've never been in Tokyo before, so I doubt you would have seen me anywhere before today. In regards to my weapons," she looked up at him with a flashing smile. "A girl can never be too careful." He returned her smile. "And you are? I'd like to give a man to my rescuer so I can tell my future children how I was rescued in Tokyo."  
  
"I'm Sanosuke," he said with a shrug. "And I'm not much of a rescuer, more like a tour guide." Akio covered her mouth with a hand to stifle the giggle. "So tell me, what are you looking for Katsu for?"  
  
"Katsu?" she asked, looking at him for explanation.  
  
"The artist you're looking for, Katsu. You need to get money out of him or something?"  
  
Akio laughed. "No. I've just a few questions for him. You see, he has done caricatures of a man that I've been looking for. I was hoping he might know something about him. That's all."  
  
"Well I wish you luck then," Sanosuke responded.  
  
"And I thank you," Akio said politely. That was when they reached Katsu's home.  
  
"Here we are," Sanosuke said, knocking briskly on the door. "It'll take him a minute to get the door open." Akio nodded her understanding, stomach in knots. This was the moment of truth. If this person was the artist of the caricature, then he would of had to of known her father, even for the briefest of periods. There was a moment where time seemed to stop. It was the moment it took Katsu to open his door.  
  
The door opened to reveal a young man roughly the same age as Sanosuke. He was shorter, with long black hair. Like Sanosuke, he wore a headband, but it was a dark blue as opposed bright red. His eyes were a dark blue as well, and he had a brooding aura that Akio was hesitant to invade. But she had come to far and waiting to long to be stopped now. Especially when she was so close.  
  
"Can I--" he trailed off, gaze flickering from Akio up to Sanosuke. "What do you want?"   
  
Sanosuke gave him a cocky grin and pointed to Akio. "She wanted to talk to 'the great artist'. A fan for you, Katsu." There was a mocking tone to his voice. Akio was familiar with mocking, but it was affectionate. And that made all the difference in her mind. Katsu's attention was once more on her.  
  
She balked at first, tension balled in her stomach as hard as a knot. This was it, now or never. The moment of truth. And like she had done when she had first met Soujiro, she threw caution to the wind and leapt in. "I'm sorry to bother you sir," she said in an apologetic tone as she unfolded the artwork the dealer had given her. "But you are the artist of this piece, are you not?" She handed him the caricature and there was a brief moment of silence as the artist examined his work.  
  
"Yes," he said finally. "This is one of mine. Is it unsatisfactory?" There was something in his eyes that Akio caught right away. A fragile pride, whether it was for the art or the model, she was not sure, but she knew that she was treading on dangerous ground.  
  
With a gulp, she pressed on. "No, it's perfect," she assured him sincerely. "But I wanted to know if you knew this man, personally. This, Sagara Souzou?" Both Katsu and Sanosuke turned on her with equal expressions of dark anger. Akio backed down a little, but kept her resolve. "Do you?" She was proud that her voice didn't quaver.   
  
"Why do you ask? What do you know of Captain Sagara?" Sanosuke asked in a metallic voice. Akio felt the stirring of anger in her.   
  
"I know nothing of him, which is why I am here." Resentment and anger and bitterness flooded her suddenly like a shot to the chest. All those nights of crying herself to sleep alone in the mountains all because her father had never claimed her as his own. All those years of wondering who he was and what he was like. Now, these men were looking at her with the same loathing that came from those she had left behind a year ago. Never would she tolerate that again. It was Soujiro that had made her feel like she was worth more then that, and her soul be damned if she ever let anyone look down on her again. Unwanted tears brimmed in her eyes as she turned fiercely on the two men. "All I want is to know whether or not you knew the man."  
  
"Yes," Katsu replied with cold emphasis. "We both knew him. He was a great man, the best that ever was. And I ask this, what do you want from us regarding him?"  
  
"Nothing," Akio said. The emotional upheaval which had hit her like a ton of bricks had receded as quickly as it had come. Now she was left cold and shaking and drained. There was no point in telling them that the man that they defended so ruthlessly was her father. "I just wanted to know..." What had she wanted to know really? If he was dead? Had he ever thought of her mother after he had left her, pregnant and alone? Had he ever wanted to come back to them? But mostly, she wanted to know if he had ever known about his daughter. With a steadying breath, she just let out a small sigh with a rush of words. "I just wanted to know if he was going to go back to her, had he lived. That was all."  
  
"Gone back to who? What are you talking about?" Both Katsu and Sanosuke were watching her closely now. But their expressions were more pensive then hostile. It occurred to her that perhaps they had not known the man in the portrait as well as she thought they might. With a quick sweep, she realized again how young they were. Not that much older then herself, twenty years perhaps? Not much more. They would have been merely children when her father had been killed.   
  
With a sigh and a sad smile, Akio looked to them. "Perhaps we should talk of this inside?" They looked untrusting for a second, but she was only a woman after all, so Katsu motioned for them to go inside. Akio walked past as regally as if she had been the empress of all Japan. "It is obvious to me that you are former members of the Sekihotai," Akio began, seating herself on the floor comfortably. "The headband that you wear Sanosuke, and the fact that you knew Sagara, tell me this."  
  
"And how do you know of Sagara?" Katsu asked, watching her closely.  
  
"I never met him," Akio replied honestly. "I did not even know his name until I saw it on the caricature of yours this very day. I knew her appearance from these." Akio dug out the sketches of her mother's and passed them to Katsu to examine. "My mother drew those not long before I was born. Sagara Souzou came to our village years ago, where he acquired his sword. It was during the first stirrings of the revolution, just before he took the command of the Sekihotai, I believe."  
  
Katsu was silent, looking at the drawings. He passed them to Sanosuke, who was sitting across from Akio. The taller man looked over the art and his breath caught in his throat. The pictures were even more of a likeness to the beloved captain then the one Katsu had done. The papers were old and faded, folded and creased from many viewings.   
  
"I don't suppose he ever spoke to you or Renko Village?"  
  
The heads of both men shot up to stare at her with wide eyes. Akio was startled into silence. "How do you know of that place?" Katsu asked, awe replacing suspicion in his voice.   
  
"It was where I was born," Akio said quietly.   
  
"The Captain talked about that village all the time," Sanosuke whispered to no one. "He said it was the most beautiful place in the world. A town or artisans and craftsmen, where men would go far and wide to buy the best weapons ever made. He had went there to get a sword...twenty years ago, give or take."  
  
"About eighteen years ago," Akio corrected. Her companions blinked out of their memories to look at her. "It's when he met her."  
  
"Arigo Yuka," Katsu breathed reverently. "Sagara called her a goddess among women. The one he intended to marry once his term in the army was over, and the tide of the imperialist army had covered the land with peace and equality."  
  
"But dreams do not always come true," Akio said in a tone that far outweighed her years. "The Imperialist army was responsible for the death of Souzou, and in turn, the death of Yuka as well." Questioning eyes were upon her, but Akio was no longer looking at them. She drew the sword from where it hung--almost concealed--across her back. The blade was polished and shinning, the invisible blood stains only obvious to Akio's eyes. "Her despair overtook her when he never returned, and Yuka took her life upon this very blade."  
  
"For one who knows nothing of Sagara, you know a lot of his past," Sanosuke observed.  
  
"I know only what I pieced together over years of searching," Akio replied dryly, sheathing the sword. "Souzou left Renko Village to lead the Sekihotai, promising her that he would return and marry her. But he never came back, for whatever reasons they were, and Yuka was left alone. Well, not truly alone."  
  
"What does that mean?" Katsu asked her, curious in spite of himself. Sanosuke too, was on the edge of his seat.  
  
"I was three years old at the time, not much more then a baby," Akio explained. "That was when she kissed me goodbye and I watched her take the sword, the last my grandfather had ever forged by his own hand, and plunge it into her chest." Her eyes glazed over with unspoken pain. "It was very hard to watch my mother die."  
  
They were silent for a long moment, both men trying to understand what she was telling them. It was Katsu who broke the silence. "You are Yuka's daughter?" he asked.  
  
"Yes," Akio said sadly.  
  
"So she married another after Captain Sagara left the village?" Sanosuke asked, his face pale at the thought of someone betraying his beloved mentor.  
  
"No," Akio denied fervently. "She never married. She only loved one in her life, and he had left her."  
  
"But you..." The statement was left to hang. Akio's smile was equal parts bitterness and sadness.  
  
"I am the bastard daughter of Argio Yuka and Sagara Souzou." Despite the fact that it was the first time this statement was made with her father's name attached, it rolled off her tongue as easily as if she had said it all her life. "I am hear because I wanted to know about my father, a man I had never met. I wanted to know if he really was going to return to her, the woman who had loved him so completely." Unbidden tears rolled from the corners of her eyes. Akio wiped them away absently. "I didn't dare think he even knew about me."  
  
Both men stared at her as if she had two heads. Akio couldn't fight the hysterical laughter that rose in her and she nearly fell over in her fit. They stared at her, mouths gaping, but eyes taking in every feature of the girl before them. The glossy raven hair that fell across her eyes, emerald green eyes, just like his had been. They took in the oval face and the pointed nose. Her determined chin and high cheekbones had come from her mother, the soft set of her mouth as well. But there was no way either could deny her claim. She was the daughter of their mentor. She was the daughter of Sagara Souzou. Both of them mentally kicked themselves for not seeing it sooner.   
  
"Where have you been all these years?" Katsu asked, first to recover. Akio recovered slowly, looking like she would have another fit--halfway between bursting to laughter or tears.  
  
"I was living in Renko Village until about a year ago," she said fidgeting with her kimono laces suddenly, to keep her hands busy. "I left about year ago with my husband." It was a harmless white lie, saying she was married. It wasn't a complete lie, she told herself. She and Soujiro would be getting married if...WHEN he returned. With a deep breath, she inwardly nodded, and continued. "We've been traveling around Japan, and I have been trying to discover as much as I could about my father. It was hard," she admitted. "All I had to go on were the sketches my mother drew and the red headband she left with her."  
  
She lifted the cloth band, identical to Sanosuke's, out from her bag. Both men looked at it to her face and back again. "And where is your husband, if I may be so bold?" Sanosuke asked.  
  
"He had business to attend elsewhere. He wished me to remain in Tokyo, where I would be safe." They didn't press further, seeing the pain and worry etched deeply in her eyes. "While he is away, I was wandering the markets and came upon the caricature that bore such resemblance to the sketches of my father...I couldn't resist trying to learn his identity. Forgive me, I meant not to trouble you with anything I have said or revealed...I just...I just spent so much time...'wondering'...you can not know what it is like to never even know his 'name'. I wanted to badly to know him." Akio let out a sigh and a shaky laugh. "Listen to me, rambling on."  
  
"It's alright," Sanosuke assured her, Katsu nodding in agreement. She looked to them with gratitude.   
  
"I'm sorry to bother you. And I have to thank you. You answered my question. He really did plan on returning to her...it makes me feel better to know that if he had the chance, I might have had a father." Akio smiled, sadly and warmly at once, but the smile was at an inward memory that Sanosuke and Katsu could only guess at.  
  
"Had you known him, you would have known a great man," they offered. Akio smiled, tears shimmering again, but these didn't fall. She climbed to her feet and bowed, gathering her mother's sketches into her bag again.  
  
"Thank you for everything, but I should be off now. I need to find a place to stay for the night." Akio made for the door but Sanosuke stopped her.   
  
"If you need a place to stay, I know the perfect place."  
  
"Really?" she asked with a raised eyebrow. Sanosuke smirked.  
  
"Kamiya Dojo," Akio said aloud, reading the title on the building that Sanosuke was leading her to. "This is where you want me to stay? But I am not looking for tutelage. My husband is my instructor, and I am quite accomplished already."  
  
"It's alright," Sanosuke assured her. "The owner is a brat, but she'll never turn down another female swordsman. And if it's only for a few nights, until your husband returns."  
  
Akio was unsure, but she followed him. She trusted this Sagara Sanosuke. He had known her father, known and loved him enough to take his name as his own in memory. It touched her deeply that the man who gave her life had cared so deeply for two boys that they remained loyal to him even ten years after his death.   
  
Sanosuke had walked in the door of the dojo and looked around. "Hey Missy!" he called out. "I need to talk to you."  
  
"I don't have any money for you Sanosuke!" a voice yelled at him from another room. "And we're not going for a beef pot, so forget it."  
  
"This isn't about food or money," Sano retorted with a scowl. "Just come here!"  
  
A woman appeared from around the corner, a frown on her pretty face. Akio liked her instantly, she was the kind of woman who didn't back down from a man. Her face held the determined pride of a swordsman, and even though she wore an elegant kimono and wore a ribbon in her long inky hair, she held the air of athletics wrapped in an undeniable feminine appeal. Her eyes were large and blue, serious and yet they held amusement. It struck Akio hard that even though she was yelling at Sanosuke, her eyes held fondness. Just like what had been in the fighter's voice when he had talked to his friend. A close-knit circle of devoted friends that made a place in Akio's stomach knot.  
  
"What is it?" she asked, then her eyes focused on Akio. She blinked at the girl, then at Sanosuke and back again. "You're bringing girls here now?"  
  
"Hello," Akio said with a shrug and a wave, a blush spreading on her face.  
  
"This is Akio," Sanosuke introduced her. "She needs a place ot stay for a few days, would it be alright that she stay here?"  
  
"I have money," Akio said quickly. " I can pay you for board." The other woman blinked.  
  
"I guess that's alright." Then she seemed to catch herself and she stepped forward. "Excuse my manners. I'm Kamiya Kaoru, Assistant Master of the Kamiya Kasshin swordsmanship style, and this is my dojo." Akio bowed.  
  
"A pleasure, my lady Kaoru. I am Seta Akio, currently a pupil of swordsmanship, but I am developing my own style." Both women looked pleased with themselves and each other. "It would be a privilege to stay in your dojo," Akio said with sincerity.  
  
"It would be a pleasure to have you, please come in," Kaoru said with a kind smile. Akio graciously accepted the invitation and followed Kaoru into the dojo. Sanosuke sat on the front step and waited for the man who had been standing nearby to come into the open.  
  
As if on cue, the hidden listener appeared. His hair was flame red, long and tied behind his head. His violet eyes looked into the dojo where the women had disappeared, and there was a strange look on his face. He turned to Sanosuke, who looked up at him with an expression of the same kind. There was a mutual question between them. "Seta?"  
  
Yes, I will leave it here, Muhahahahah! Get ready for me to pick it up with Soujiro next chapter. He regains consciousness, but nothing else! *gasp* You'll have to read to find out more! And now, everyone's favorite--Shout-out Corner!  
  
Kenshin 44: Thanks for liking my last chapters, hehe. Sorry for the delay, I'll try to work harder! And yes, when Akio gets wind of this--let's just say no intimate object in the vicinity will be safe, lol. Thanks for the review!  
  
Crasyducky: You like me, you really like me! Thanks for reading and reviewing! Oh, and the pics were no problem at all. I love sharing photos with my fans!  
  
pruningshears: Yay, my favorite reviewer!…although that is being bias…oh well! Yes, poor Soujiro, all in the name of story-plot….I'm so bad. Yes, I always wanted to know more about Captain Sagara, so I though--if I'm writing a fic with Soujiro, why not add a little Sagara-lore in here as well? So I got the best of both ideas! There will be more mentions of the village in flashbacks and memories later on, so never fear!  
  
Dragons Maiden: Yes, we were back to Akio. Now we shall go back to Soujiro. Chapter 6, when it goes back to her, we'll have Akio's interactions with the rest of the Kenshin squad, including her meeting with Kenshin himself and Yahiko and stuff. *pockets a few dimes* I don't know nothing bout no pay-off!  
  
Luna: Feel free to make your bunnies attack, but keep in mind I will have to kill the ninjas off myself later on, hehe. Thanks for the review, keep reading!  
  
Zapper Zako: So you noticed huh? Good, I'm glad someone noticed that I made Soujiro a little lax in the skills. I make the sacrifice of what I call the love-life cycle. When you have something in your life that changes you, you begin to lose the aspects of what you were before. In Soujiro's case, when he fell in love with Akio and chose to stay by her side, he forfeited some of his old self--namely his sword skills. You'll see what I mean when he wakes up in chapter 5. Don't worry, he won't be weak in the whole story, you'll see why I made him that way though.   
  
Kari: Thanks for the support, keep reading and reviewing, k? Yay!  
  
~~Jesse the Wolf Demon~~ 


	5. A Terrible Thing To Waste

Well, here's chapter 5. I hope to get 6 out in the next few days because I know you're all dying for it! Oh, and because I'm picking up from two chapters ago, I'll give a brief recap so you don't click back. Soujiro went into battle at Ryu's manor and got his butt whipped--sorry, but it had to be done! Anyway, he was captured and on orders, the two ninja now employed by Mr. Mori through him into the dungeon. This is where we find him. Enjoy!  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Soujiro--but the bad guys are mine, hehe!  
  
Chapter 5: A Terrible Thing To Waste  
  
His senses swam as light filter into his dim mind once more. Dank air assaulted his nostrils causing him to momentarily gag and gulp air into his lungs. When he opened his eyes, only shadows shifted before unfocused orbs. His skull throbbed, his entire body ached. Too many things were happening at once, too many thoughts and images flashing. He groaned and slumped forward. It was only then that he realized that he was chained upright against a wall. He let his head sag; the pain was too great to keep it upright.   
  
"It seems that he has regained consciousness," a voice said from somewhere nearby.   
  
"That's a good sign," agreed another voice.  
  
"It means that he is strong."  
  
"To have woken so quickly from a blow like yours."  
  
"We were right to save him."  
  
"The Master will find a use for him."  
  
"Stop...talking," Soujiro growled, annoyed. "You're giving...me a headache."  
  
"So it speaks," the first voice said, drawing near.  
  
"So it lives," the second said, taking a position on his other side.  
  
"Where am I?" Soujiro said, lifting his head to met the gaze of two individuals. A quick flash of recognition was before his eyes, but gone in an instant. "Who are you?"  
  
The two men near him were of slight build, dressed all in black, including a mask that covered the lower part of their faces. Both had brown eyes, piercing brown eyes that met with an intense gray-blue. Soujiro snarled, warning them not to get too close. He was like a wounded animal backed into a corner. He may be at the disadvantage, but a cornered dog can still bite. And Soujiro could bite if they made a move on him. Both his opposition tilted their heads at the same angle at the same time, a mirrored image of one another. They looked at him with an air of amusement.  
  
"It asks where it is," the first one said.  
  
"It asks who we are," the second one responded.  
  
"Stop that!" Soujiro growled out, pulling forcefully on his shackles. "Answer my question. Where am I?"  
  
"You're in the Master's dungeon," the first one said, taking a step closer and assuming a more commanding stance. "He bid us to let you live until he could speak with you at length."  
  
"You needn't worry," the second said, copying the first. "The Master will be here shortly, now that you are awake once more."  
  
"Who are you?" Soujiro asked, eyeing them warily.  
  
"We are ninja employed by Master Mori. I am Tamasine, and this is my brother, Toshi." (For those who want to know, the name Tamasine means 'twin' and Toshi means 'mirror image'. I thought it would be cool to name the creepy ninja brothers something that reflected their behavior.) The ninja took a step closer to Soujiro's suspended form. "Do you know who you are?"  
  
Soujiro opened his mouth to retort, but his mind drew up a blank. He felt a thought in the back of his mind, a name that he was trying to remember. But every time he got close to finding it, the thought slipped away. Like trying to bait a hook with a fresh worm, it was too slippery to grasp. He couldn't remember his own name. In fact, the more Soujiro thought, the more he realized that he knew nothing at all, about himself, or anything else. His mouth opened and closed, trying to summon words, but finding himself unable to speak.  
  
"I thought not," Toshi said, moving to stand beside his brother. "We were successful. We just need to wait for the Master, to see if we should keep him or not."  
  
The ninjas turned and left the cell where Soujiro was left hanging against the wall. He didn't tell them to stop. He was too shocked now to form any kind of thought. He couldn't remember his own name. He had no past, no present. And without those, how could one hope for a future? Was he in purgatory? Was he in hell? A feirce anger burned in the pit of his stomach, and overwhelming hatred that was pointed at no one. Anger, fear, and frustration pooled in his stomach. Desperation made him edgy, jerking at every sound.   
  
The cell he was in was dimly lit by a single lantern, and the heavy wooden door was closed when the ninjas departed. It left him alone to his madness. And madness it was, because when he finally felt overloaded and broken by the dark emotions gnawing at his gut, Soujiro snapped. He thrashed, he pulled, he tugged, and he screamed. He howled from the depths of his dark and unknown soul. The shackles on his wrists cut into his skin, the blood slowly leaking down his arms. The same occurred on his ankles, and the blood soaked through his shoes to pool on the floor. In his frenzy, he bit down on his lower lip and his teeth went through the skin. Salty blood filled his mouth and his spat on the ground, but was unable to wipe the dripping crimson liquid from his face. His eyes were stark blue, like a clouding sky. But they were wild eyes, the eyes of an untamed creature ready to tear the closest thing to shreds.   
  
Visions danced before an unblinking eye. Flashes that were as quick as the sun glinting off of a polished blade. Visions of a beaten and starved child. He saw a man, tall and covered in bandages who gave him a sword. He saw countless men laying dead at his feet. He saw the blood on his hands, but remembered feeling nothing. He saw an empty smile on a face in a mirror. He saw death and chaos and destruction. Then there was the image of a man with red hair and a cross-shaped scar, a man who set him on a different path. And then he saw a girl. A beautiful girl with dark hair and emerald eyes who smiled with some foreign emotion. Then all the images were gone into one chaotic blur once more.   
  
"Who am I?" he asked the darkness in a hoarse whisper. Then he through back his head, shaggy hair flung from his eyes, and he cried from deep within himself. "WHERE AM I?"  
  
"You're in my dungeon," came an answering voice. Soujiro swung around to come eye-to-eye with a man who had just entered the cell. He was not a ninja. He was dressed in expensive, lavish clothing and his eyes held a look of contempt. This act of coming to the cell was beneath him, but he wanted to see for himself what his faithful ninja had reported. "I am Mori Ryu. Does that mean anything to you?"  
  
Soujiro looked at his man as if he was out of his mind. Then he laughed. It was a nervous laugh, a hysterical laugh that came from a person who could either laugh or curse and cry. Being a man of some discipline, Soujiro laughed. "I-I don't even know who I am! Do you think I know who you are?" he asked when he could speak again.  
  
Ryu smiled and took a few steps closer. Both Tamasine and Toshi waited in the doorway like phantoms in case they were needed. "I must admit, when my ninja told me that you had lost all memory of your past, I was skeptical."  
  
"You came to investigate?" Soujiro asked, becoming suddenly nervous. Something in his gut told him to be wary of this man.  
  
"Yes. You see, at one time, you were a nuisance to me. A thorn in my side, if you will. But now, now you hang from a wall, bleeding like a beaten dog, and laugh in my face. Obviously you are delusional." Soujiro only smiled.  
  
"I probably am." The smile only broadened. "What does it matter to you then, if I was such a burden?"  
  
"Well, it was not really you that I wanted," Ryu commented, shrugging his shoulders elegantly. "Let me tell you a story, and stop me if you've heard this one." He paused to chuckle at Soujiro's expense. "I grew up in a place far from here. Where I lived, there was a woman who was equal parts beauty and oddity. She grew learning the sword, and thought herself a man in ways. But still, for all her will, she was easily swayed and easily broken. Then, a man came to the village that changed things. This woman would have married a rich man, a man who would have taken care of her, but instead she gave up all she could have had in order to screw some...some wanderer!" The name was like a curse on his lips, but Ryu quickly recovered himself. "And she even had the audacity to try and kill me."  
  
With that, Ryu moved swiftly up to Soujiro and grabbed his neck, cutting off the windpipe. "Look at me now, a shell of what I was." Ryu's eyes were as wild as Soujiro's had been, but this was true madness. "She ran me through and I would have died, had it not been for a slimy character I worked with named Gama. He saved my life, then scurried away like the filth he is. I have worked for over a year to just hold a sword again. I have to depend on others to fight my battles for me now. Because of a whore." Soujiro coughed, trying to twist away from the iron grasp on his throat. Ryu released him with distain, wiping his hand on Soujiro's shirt. "Disgusting." Soujiro coughed, sucking air into his starving lungs.  
  
"Wh-what has this t-to do with m-me?" he asked between breaths. Ryu looked at him then turned.  
  
"You were her wanderer." Soujiro looked at the man whose back was to him. Could what he said be true? Could he have once known this woman who had almost killed a man that strong? Could it have been the girl in his mind, the one with green eyes and the bright smile? It didn't seem possible, so he dismissed it. "But now you are here, and you don't even know your own name."  
  
"Do you know?" Soujiro asked. Ryu turned his head so that he saw Soujiro out of the corner of his eye.  
  
"Tenken," he said evenly. "Seta the Tenken." And then Ryu left Soujiro in his cell once more, signaling his ninja to lock the door behind him.  
  
Ryu climbed the stairs from the dungeon toward his home once more. He sniffed his sleeve as he walked and winced. "Disgusting, I shall have ot bathe now." He sighed dejectedly and turned to Tamasine. "What do you think I should do with him?"  
  
"He is very skilled with a blade, Master," Tamasine replied.   
  
"Toshi?" Ryu inquired.  
  
"He has no memories of what he had become. All he knows is instinct, Master. We could retrain him, make him into a fine assassin once again."  
  
"I don't know. The Tenken is very brilliant, he might only be pretending. It might be a farce for him and his whore to come at me again."  
  
"With all due respect my lord," Toshi interrupted. "We have had reports of our scouts. Akio has not traveled with Seta. A scout spotted them in a train town before losing them. It is plausible that she was sent to another location."  
  
"Damn!" Ryu swore. "I wanted the pleasure of seeing her die...." Ryu stopped his accent of the stairs to wring his hands together. "I wanted to wrap my hands around her innocent throat and hear it crack." He closed his eyes, fantasizing the moment. Then his eyes snapped open and a dark smile lit his face. "Boys, I have come to a decision."  
  
"Master?" they responded in unison.  
  
"I give the Tenken to you. Train him as you please, I'll give you one week. Then I will send him on a little mission. If he impresses me in one week, then we'll keep him." Both ninjas smiled behind their masks and bowed to Ryu before disappearing into the shadows. "A mind is a terrible thing to waste," Ryu sighed, returning to his climb. There was now a song in his heart. "If I can't be the one to kill Akio, then I'm sure I can get lover-boy to do it for me." Oh, revenge is sweet!  
  
Alright then, I'll end it here. Short chapter, yes, but I promise chapter 7 to be longer when we pick back up with Soujiro. Next chapter picks up with Akio. Now she's at the dojo, with all the rest of the cast. *gasp* whatever will they do? Read chapter 6 and find out! Muhahah! Shout-out corner, here we go!  
  
pruning shears: Aw, we meet again! It's like I'm James Bond, and you're the evil villain! (Or the other way around, I've always thought bad guys kick a lot of ass) Anyway, I totally plan of doing just that. It's gonna be a fun thing to write, that I can say. In answer to your inquiries, Yahiko is in my fic, just not in the last chapter. Don't worry, he'll be in chapter 6. How can I leave him out?!? And as to Akio's swordsmanship, she had improved a great deal under Soujiro's tutelage. He has taught her a great deal more discipline and control, given that she was already experienced and partially trained. She is even developing her own style, which I will talk more about later. It has to do with the usage of both a wooden sword and a real sword. Oh, I am honored that you read my Kenshin fic. Yes, normally I stick with Inuyasha too, but I just couldn't resist this idea. *sigh* I'm too much of a romantic. This is actually my first truly romantic idea. I mean, SAC was romantic, but this is more so…yeah…*cough*   
  
Dragons Maiden: Well, if I don't leave off at a good point in the story, how do I know you'll come back and read more? Huh-huh, answer me that? No thanks on the candy, I've got enough. *grumbles about missing dimes* But hey, as long as you read, I don't need a pay-off.  
  
Ken: Should I be insulted or complimented by that? Well, Soujiro isn't evil….yet. Thanks for the review!  
  
Someone: Clever name, hehe. I always cut off at a good part. It keeps the readers guessing, muhaha! I'm so happy that you like my story. Keep on reading and I'll be in your everlasting debt. *bows* Thanks for the review, keep reading.   
  
Remember everyone--spread the love. Tell a friend and force them to read my stuff with electro-shock therapy! *evil grin* Later! ~~Jesse the Wolf Demon~~ 


	6. The Story of Her Life

Readers--Here we are, chapter 6, finally! Sorry it took so long. I've been so bad with everything. I'm up to my ears in work and drowning slowly. I hope to pick up speed now that it's almost December. And I know I promised that I'd start working on my sequel to SAC, but I just haven't had the time! I hope to get started on that once this fic is over. For all you Tainted Blood fans, don't hate me for being slow, my beta is just as swamped as I am and we're both doing our best. Excuse the typos in this chapter and stuff, I was in a rush to get it out. Not as long as I'd hoped, but like I said, I wanted it out. Enjoy!  
  
Disclaimer: Don't own anything Rurouni Kenshin, just Akio. She's the peanut butter on my Wanderer's Sandwich.  
  
Chapter 6: The Story of Her life  
  
Akio shifted the bag on her shoulder again, fidgeting to try and keep her hands busy while following Kaoru through the dojo. Too many things happening in one day were catching up to her, and heavy lids descended halfway on emerald eyes. Akio even emitted a small yawn that she quickly stifled before her hostess noticed.   
  
"So Akio," Kaoru began politely, slowing her step to walk alongside the younger girl. "Tell me, how do you know Sanosuke?" Akio blushed a dull red. She didn't really know how to respond to that, and she knew that remaining silent would be as good as an admission of guilt.   
  
"I just met him today," Akio began quietly. "I was rather lost trying to find somewhere, and he helped me find where I was going."  
  
"Oh," was Kaoru's reply. She appeared to be disappointed for some reason, and Akio was feeling guilty again, so she continued her answer.   
  
"He knew my father."  
  
"Really?" Kaoru was interested again. "Perhaps I know him as well. May I ask his name?"  
  
Akio smiled brilliant. Kaoru was confused by this action, not realizing that this was the first time that someone had asked Akio about her father and she had a name to go along with it. "His name was Sagara Souzou." Kaoru's impossibly blue eyes widened and she stopped walking to openly gawk at the girl in front of her. Akio only blinked back. Stares no longer fazed her, but the silence made her fidget a little. "Is something the matter Miss Kaoru?" she asked.  
  
"No!" Kaoru said quickly, holding up a hand for emphasis. "I was just startled. I won't pretend to know much about the man, except what Sanosuke has told us, but I was under the impression that he had no children." Akio looked down, a shadow creeping into her emerald eyes. Kaoru, fearing she had said something to upset her guest, quickly pressed on. "I'm sure the stories you have to tell about him will be a good thing for Sanosuke. He was very fond of your father, and he never does like to talk much about his past."  
  
"Unfortunately, I have no stories of him," Akio said with a sigh. "He left to fight in the war before I was born, and he didn't return. I actually look to Sanosuke, in the hopes that he might tell me something of my father."  
  
"I'm sorry," Kaoru said kindly. "Well, you can stay here as long as you like for free. It's only right, your being the daughter of Sanosuke's hero and all."  
  
Akio smiled and shook her head. "You people are too kind," she said. "Where I come from, people are much more suspicious and over-bearing."  
  
"Where are you from?" Kaoru asked, intrigued. Akio was interrupted from answering by a loud yell and the sound of fast foot-falls coming their way.   
  
"KAORU!" yelled a rather loud-mouthed teenager as he rounded the corner. The boy was gawky and tall, in that awkward stage where his body hasn't grown into itself yet. His hair was dark and spiked all over his head in a sloppy way, and his large dark eyes were wide in horror. "He just started crying, I don't know what happened!" he yelled, grabbing on to the woman's arm and pulling her along.  
  
"Yahiko, what did you do?" she yelled, running after him. Akio, watching the exchange in fascination, followed at a slower pace. The two in the lead wound through many rooms until they exited the dojo all together to the yard at the rear. In the yard, there were two young girls. One had long brown hair and looked around ten years old while the other had to be seven or eight, with pigtails. Akio thought they were both cute, but they looked about ready to burst into tears. Behind them sat a baby, wailing at the top of his lungs.  
  
Kaoru pushed past the teenager and then around the two girls to snatch up the baby, rocking him in her arms and hushing his tears. Soon he quieted, only sniffling and hiccupping as he clutched at Kaoru's kimono. Akio watched, removing her bags and placing them on the deck before walking out into the yard. "I take it this is your son?" she asked, cocking her head in the direction of Kaoru and the baby.  
  
"Yes, this is Kenji," Kaoru replied with a smile. "He's only a few months old and is still very fussy."  
  
"Ah, all babies want to be by their mothers when they are this young." Akio took a few steps closer until she was only a foot away. She leaned over, looking at the baby held tightly to his mother. Two violet eyes peered back at her, and he smiled. A small hand shot up and opened in her direction. Akio gave him a finger, which was promptly stuck in his mouth. Akio wrinkled her nose, but didn't say anything. Babies had always loved her, whether they were human or animal. That was why she wanted a child of her own very badly, but no matter the maternal urge, Akio wanted to be married beforehand. Since she and Soujiro were not properly married yet, Akio was careful about such things. Having lived her life a bastard, she would never wish that upon anyone, let alone her own child.  
  
"I've never seen Kenji not to be fighting someone before," Kaoru laughed. "He's such a strong little one."  
  
"Ah, he's a lamb in lion's clothing," Akio replied, removing her finger, but running her fingers over his hair before straightening so he wouldn't be put out. "And who are these?" Akio inquired, motioning toward the three other people in the yard.  
  
"Oh," Kaoru said with a smile. "I almost forgot to introduce them! This is Yahiko, my apprentice," she said, indicating the teenager. He puffed himself up to appear more threatening. Akio smiled to herself. "And this is Ayame and her little sister."  
  
"Hello," Akio said with a wave. "I'm Akio. I'll be staying her for a little while." The two girls immediately latched on to her legs, both talking very fast. Akio laughed, making her way to the deck for a seat before trying to answer all the questions at once. Yahiko had shifted his position to stand near Kaoru, questioning her under his breath about the woman on the deck.  
  
After a little while, the two girls had to return home, and Akio still had to put her things in a room for the night. Kaoru had been hovering nearby, Kenji in her arms, watching Yahiko doing a few practice exercises. Seeing that she was no longer kept away by children, Kaoru came back over to Akio.  
  
"Grab your things, I'll show you to a room," she said with a smile. Akio bowed and smiled and followed. After walking for a few minutes, Akio worked up enough courage to ask something of her hostess.  
  
"Are you married, Miss Kaoru?"   
  
Kaoru grinned, shifting Kenji to her opposite shoulder. "Yes, however, I didn't take my husband's name."  
  
"Would it be out of line for me to ask why?" Akio was intrigued. In Renko Village, a woman was required to take her husband's name or else the marriage wouldn't be legal.  
  
"For the sake of the dojo I guess," Kaoru answered. "I wanted to stay a Kamiya for all of my life, even if I'm married."  
  
Akio smiled. Kaoru had just become one of her heroes. "I have my husband's name," she said absently. "Since I grew up without a name, I figured the one I take should be the best one of all."  
  
"You're married?" Kaoru asked with a raised eyebrow. "You don't look old enough."  
  
Akio blushed and smiled. "Well, love knows no age limit, I suppose. Seta is his name, but I took it for my own. Doesn't Seta Akio just have a wonderful sound?" Akio sighed dreamily. She loved the sound of the name, the way it made her feel. It was like that part of herself that had been missing for so long had finally be found in that little thing of a name.  
  
When they reached a room, Akio placed her things in neat places, then followed Kaoru on her daily routine. They chatted about this and that, Akio volunteering to do selected household chores to earn her keep since Kaoru had turned down payment. It was a while afterwards that Kaoru got around to the question she had been dying to ask.  
  
"Akio, if you don't think it to forward of me, why are you in Tokyo?"  
  
Akio sighed thoughtfully. "It's a complicated story, Miss Kaoru, perhaps we should sit down for me to tell it to you."  
  
"Alright." And so they had a seat in one of the larger rooms in the dojo, Kenji sleeping peacefully next to Kaoru while the two women sipped tea and talked quietly.  
  
"I was born and raised in a small town called Renko Village. It was a place of craftsmen and weapons-building. Warriors came from all over Japan for our trade. That is how my father first ventured into the town, and how I was made into being." She paused to smile at her tea, then continued. "After the death of my mother and grandmother, I remained in the town even though I was not very welcome there. People didn't like having a girl of no name who lived her life by the sword coming and going."  
  
"That's ridiculous!" Kaoru interrupted. "Women living their lives by the sword...not all of us can be helpless!"  
  
"Miss Kaoru, I agree with you completely."   
  
"Forgive my outburst," Kaoru blushed. "Please continue." Neither women observed the three men who were eavesdropping from the doorway, ones Sanosuke, Yahiko, and Kenshin.  
  
"Well, I lived and worked there all my life, until...I guess it would be a little over a year now...I met a young man." Akio's eyes glazed over as she looked back into her memories, a look of serenity on her face. "He had been wounded by the village guardians and left for dead, but I tended to his injuries and he recovered quickly. I guess you could say that I fell in love from the start, but he was the first person who could look me in the eye, even knowing that I was a bastard. And he was the first person who needed me." Akio sighed, shaking her head. "I'm sorry, you asked about my coming to the city and I'm telling you a love story." She laughed a little, sipping her drink.  
  
"It's quite alright!" Kaoru said, smiling kindly. "Go on."  
  
"It was during the time that I was caring for him that we discovered a plan set by a local man from the village. He had hired a great number of characters from the cities to destroy Renko Village and everyone in it. Together, we were able to stop his plans and save the lives of the townspeople, but there was a cost. I lost my home, and what I had come to love. Once the town was put to right again, I left with the man who later became my husband. We've been wandering Japan ever since."  
  
"So you came to Tokyo together?" Kaoru questioned.  
  
"No," Akio said with a deep sigh and a frown. Her emerald eyes darkened with unspoken pain and worry. "Someone from my past, a man named Mori Ryu, has been following us for the last several weeks. Ryu was once my friend, when we were children, but he was the very man who tried to destroy my town a year ago. I thought he was dead." Akio paused to take a deep breath, panic evident in her voice. "But somehow he survived and has vowed revenge upon us for destroying his scheme. My husband sent me here, to Tokyo, so I would be safe while he 'handled' the situation. He wants me to hide while he faces potential death. I did not want to come to Tokyo, but he promised me he would return. So I will wait here until he does."  
  
Kaoru looked upon the girl with compassionate eyes, knowing all to well the pain that she was going through. Why was it that men always left the women behind? It was such a depressing life. "I'm sure he will be alright, that he'll come back," Kaoru offered.  
  
Akio looked up with a bright smile, even though her eyes were shimmering. "I know he will. He knows that if he gets himself killed, I'll never forgive him." Kaoru smiled back, liking Akio's attitude. This was a swordswoman worth knowing!  
  
"What's your husband's name?" Kaoru asked, looking up to see the three men who had been listening and were now entering the room. First came Yahiko, then Sanosuke, then Kenshin at the rear.  
  
"Soujiro," Akio said with a calm sip of her tea. "Seta Soujiro." That made everyone in the room freeze, turning wide, unbelieving eyes to her. Akio blinked, suddenly becoming horribly nervous. "What ever is the matter?"  
  
"Did you just say...Seta Soujiro?" Sanosuke asked, glancing behind him to Kenshin. All the color had drained from both men's faces, leaving them to look increasingly upset. Akio followed his gaze, emerald meeting violet eyes in a stare-down. The cup of tea slipped from her hands to spill on the floor beside her.  
  
"Violet eyes...red hair...cross-shaped scar..." Akio whispered. "You're Mister Himura..."  
  
The room seemed to grow colder. Kaoru grabbed up an alert Kenji, getting to her feet and standing beside Yahiko. Sanosuke had moved back beside them as well, leaving the still-kneeling Akio and Kenshin standing a few feet in front of her to continue their interlude.  
  
"I'm Himura Kenshin," he replied, suddenly looking tense.  
  
"I am Seta Akio," she said quietly, getting to her feet and bowing before him, breaking their eye contact for the first time. "It seems that I owe you a great deal of gratitude, Mister Himura."  
  
"Why do you say that?" he asked, still not dropping his guard.  
  
"Were it not for you, I would never have met Soujiro. For that I am eternally grateful to you. Also, for allowing me board at your wife's dojo." This gained surprise from everyone. Akio almost smiled. "Kenji gave it away, red hair and violet eyes are unusual colorings."  
  
"What do you want here?" seemed to be the question that everyone wanted to know.  
  
"Only a place to stay until Soujiro returns. If it makes you uncomfortable to have me here, I will leave. Truly, I didn't come here on purpose. It was Sanosuke who brought me here."  
  
"I didn't know she was married to Soujiro!" he denied quickly. "She's Captain Sagara's daughter, what could I have done? Left her in the street?"  
  
"You should have asked her!" Yahiko yelled at Sanosuke.  
  
"She didn't tell me her name was Seta until she was already here!" he argued.  
  
"That's a dangerous game, Sano," Kenshin replied, eyes flickering from the girl to his friend.  
  
Why people always seemed to talk about her as if she wasn't there always annoyed her. Really, she was in fool enough a mood as it was. Soujiro was gone, she was sick with worry, she had just found out who her father was, and now the man who ultimately saved the life of the man she loved had appeared and yelled at her. Too much in one day. Akio wanted out, so she sighed while walking to Kaoru and bowing. "Thank you for the tea Miss Kaoru. It was a pleasure to meet you." Then she turned to retrieve her things and leave.  
  
"Wait," Kaoru stopped her. Akio turned with a raised eyebrow, the picture of polite manners. "Nothing has changed. You are still welcome to stay here." Akio glanced at the men in the room, shifting under their stare.  
  
"It would cause unrest in your family."  
  
"It's my dojo, so they can be unrested for all I care," Kaoru said, giving a sharp look at the offending men. Kenji grunted his agreement, holding out his two fists to Akio. The girl could never resist the lure of a child and she smiled, giving him her finger again. "Stay as long as you need, until your husband comes for you." Akio looked from the mistrustful face of Yahiko, to the surprise of Sanosuke, to the unreadable visage of Himura Kenshin.  
  
"I won't stay long," Akio said, looking to Kaoru again. "Just until I can find somewhere else."  
  
"So be it."  
  
"I will not be a burden," she continued. "I will work for my keep, and do double of whatever you ask. I am no stranger to hard work."  
  
"It would be appreciated very much if you did help," Kaoru approved.  
  
"Since my affiliations make it so I will not be welcomed here, I do not expect warmth, but I do ask for respect." This she directed at the men. "I may not be the picture of all things pure and good and feminine, I do expect you to have manners. I am not the enemy here, even if you think I am in your own minds."  
  
They all remained silent, then dispersed without a word, going their separate ways. Akio's spirits fell. She had hoped they would yell at her or something, just make it so they knew what she was saying. "Don't mind them," Kaoru continued. "They'll come around. For now, you can stay around me and Kenji if you like." Kenji agreed, wiggling in his mother's arms.  
  
"May I?" Akio asked, opening her hands to the baby. Kaoru nodded, hesitating only a moment, then surrendered her son to the open arms of Akio. Kenji was a warm and comfortable weight for Akio, one from which she drew a great deal of new strength. It wouldn't be easy here, but most of the things that matter are hard achieved. If they wouldn't give her respect, she's earn it despite them. And she would wait for Soujiro to return.  
  
That night, when laying on the borrowed bed and looking to the ceiling in the unfamiliar yet becoming familiar dojo, Akio sighed. She prayed that wherever Soujiro was, that he was safe and unharmed. She prayed that he was strong enough to return. Mostly, Akio prayed that she would not end up like her mother had, but she was fast understanding why her mother had done what she did. Love is the hardest thing in the world, and if you aren't strong enough to endure, it could destroy you. Akio doubted her own strength, and she hoped that Soujiro was stronger than she was.  
  
I'm ending it here, just cuz I have to skip back over to Sou, see how he's enduring a lovely session of re-programming, muhaha! Anywho, I want to thank all of my beloved readers for sticking it out with me. You guys are the best ever! I know I'm a pain, but I love you guys. I'll never abandon this story because I've invested too much time and notebook paper I could have used for my comic strip on this stuff! So there! Anyway, thanks a lot. For you guys, I got nothing but love. Happy Thanksgiving!!  
  
~~Jesse the Wolf Demon~~ 


	7. Beneath the Surface

Reader--Sorry it took me so long to get this done. December was a horrible month for me. I was sick or busy, and then sick again. Now that the holidays are over, and I'll be going back to school on Monday--blah, I'm going to try my hardest to update this story once a week. If I fall behind, yell at me! I'll get on it. I'm very lazy and I need to be yelled at if I lag. Thanks for putting up with me!

Disclaimer: I do not own Soujiro, but the ninjas, Akio, and Ryu are all owned by yours truly. Any replicas must get approval by me! Or else! One call, and I'll get your legs broken, yup, I can do it too!

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Chapter 7: Beneath the Surface

Crack! The head of the wooden dummy crashed to the floor in eight pieces. A blur of black matter flashed before disappearing from it's side. Twenty feet away from the dummy, a dark clad figure stood sheathing a metal sword in a fluid motion, one that came from years of practice and use with a sword. Blue-gray eyes burned behind the black cloth mask that covered nearly all of his face. There was a bright yellow stripe around his upper right arm, a sign of an apprentice. 

"Very good Tenken," Toshi commended from his watchful position several feet away. He leaned casually against the wall, a sharpened dagger twirling slowly on the tip of his finger. "You seem to be growing in skill every day since we placed a proper sword back in your hands." There was cool delight in his voice, and shining in his dark eyes. It was the pride that comes only from one who sees great progress in a pupil.

Soujiro looked at the watching ninja and smiled, even though it couldn't see it behind the mask. He found that that action, even though the smiles held no emotion or warmth, were what came the most natural to him. "Thank you Mr. Toshi, I'm trying my best but I still can't seem to remember everything I was able to do. It's coming back slowly." He covered the small hint of annoyance in his voice well. Soujiro surprised even himself with the fact that his annoyance was nearly nonexistent. 

"You shouldn't force it Tenken." Tamasine had materialized beside his brother, arms crossed over his chest as he stood straight. "You're memory of swordsmanship will return as fast or as slow as it wills," he said in a deep voice, walking over to stand beside Soujiro. "I am surprised that you have already progressed so far and it has only been four days since we began teaching you." The unspoken comment was about the condition that they had taken him from. 

Soujiro bowed. "You're tutelage has quickened my progress."

"Flattery will get you no where Tenken," Toshi laughed, joining them. His dagger was sheathed in the small spring on his wrist. "Though, I am most grateful to the Master for awarding us with such an adept pupil."

"As am I," Tamasine agreed. "Tenken will certainly please the Master when we show him the skills he has attained." The two ninja began to circle their student like vultures over a kill. They studied him closely with scrutinizing eyes and appraising motions. Yes, Soujiro was coming along nicely. He had little or no memories of who had had been before gaining consciousness in the dungeon, though he still remembered all the skills he had ever possessed. He could remember mannerisms and personal traits, such as the habit of smiling, but places and people, names and images, eluded him. Apart from the nightmares that plagued his nights, Soujiro was virtually without a past. So far, their scheme was working out better than the two ninja had dreamed, but they were not without fear that their creation would one day bite the hands that fed it.

"When will I prove my service to Master Ryu?" Soujiro asked, fidgeting with his sword hilt. Whenever the ninja brothers decided to appraise him, it left Soujiro nervous. Like they were prowling lions and he was a wounded gazelle.

"Soon Tenken, very soon," the two ninja assured their apprentice. "Your skill is growing and we are very pleased with you, but you will have to pass a few tests before Master Ryu will have an audience with you. Then you will receive a mission from him to carry out before you become inducted into our fold."

Soujiro took a proud stance, drawing his sword deftly. "I will pass whatever test it takes." The brothers smiled to themselves. He was making a fine pupil indeed.

"I think we will make a ninja of you yet," Toshi laughed.

"As do I," Tamasine agreed. Soujiro smiled. "Now, let's repeat the same pattern you have been doing, but this time, use the batojutsu to begin."

Soujiro took his position as the two ninjas replaced the test dummy with another. The result was the same for the most part, only Soujiro's speed increased and his confidence with the sword grew each time he used it. Very soon he would be warmed enough to begin using the metal on something other than wood. Very soon, if the ninja had their way. 

"Pardon me masters," a voice came from behind the two ninja. They turned to see a young minion of Ryu's, a boy no older than Soujiro, also dressed in the outfit of a ninja. He had fallen to one knee, with his head bent. "Mast Ryu wishes to speak with you," he spoke softly. The brothers looked to each other, then back to the messenger. The young ninja looked up at his superiors. "It's about the boy."

"He must wonder after Tenken's progress," Toshi spoke.

"Perhaps he has a mission for our pupil after all," Tamasine said pensively.

"Come with me, Masters," the young ninja said, getting to his feet. The two ninja turned back to their pupil.

"Tenken," Toshi called out. Soujiro looked up from his practice. "Master Ryu has called us to him. Continue your practice until we return." Soujiro bowed and took his stance once more. The ninja brothers followed the boy to their master's quarters. The small ninja knocked on the door and opened it a crack of the way.

"Master, I bring Masters Toshi and Tamasine, as you requested."

"Thank you, tell them to enter." The boy held the door open for them and the two ninja entered slowly, like prowling cats. Ryu sat in a large chair behind a polished desk. There was a woman behind the desk who was dressed as a ninja, but without a mask. Her long dark brown hair hung around her shoulders as she looked over Ryu's bare chest. There was a large scar over the left side of his chest, and it wept with a clear liquid puss. The ninja woman wiped it clean and began to bandage the wound as Ryu looked across the desk at his two ninja. "Tell me of the progress."

"Tenken is progressing better than we hoped he would Master," Toshi explained, bowing low. "He skills with a sword are much more advanced than we anticipated. His speed and knowledge of style returns quickly. Soon he will be as the rumors of him once were."

"Do you truly believe you can turn him back into the assassin he was before?" Ryu asked with skepticism.

"We do, Master" Tamasine agreed. 

"And you can control him? His skills, his sword…" Ryu looked up at them over the head of his nurse. His eyes were steely and there was a look of calm mindlessness in their depths. "You can control his allegiance?"

"Only to you, Master," the two ninja chimed, falling to their knees. "We pledge his sword, his skill, and his loyalty, on penalty of death."

Ryu smiled, a smiled that is given by an insane man when his temper is sated. He looked to his nurse, taking her chin in his hands. Like the young boy who acted as his messenger, this girl was also trained by the ninja brothers. Raised by them because, in fact, she was their sister by blood. She was a pretty thing, the ninja girl. Her eyes were bright, a pale brown color. They weren't as pretty as Akio's, but in the year he'd spent recovering and following her, he'd never found a girl as pretty as she was. Maybe she wasn't Akio, but she had done quite well the past few months, taking care of his wounds and his other needs. So well that he was fond of her, the closest emotion to love he had ever known in his life, apart from what he had felt toward Akio.

"What do you think, Tsunami?" he asked her. She looked at him with eyes holding both adoration and serenity. She was a solider, and no one could ever make her otherwise, but she did enjoy the attention given to her by her new Master. Maybe she was love with the man, she would never find one she cared for more. The child she was carrying was proof enough of that.

"I think that you should use him while you can, Master," she said with an even, strong voice. Her fingers moving gently around his chest, healing and caring for his forever-scarred body. Tsunami delighted in the plan that he had told her, of using the boy to destroy the woman who had done this to him. She thought it a brilliant stroke of luck, and a deserving bite of vengeance. She would tend for her Master and share his bed, she would even bare his child, and in exchange, she would remain at his side and be his right hand. It would be her who healed his wounds and looked after him, not the woman who left him to die. Perhaps, her Master would even allow her to kill the woman, when the time came. 

Ryu smiled again, pulling Tsunami down low enough to place a hard, possessive kiss on her mouth before turning back to her brothers. "Are you confident that the Tenken is capable of exacting a mission?"  
"I believe he is Master," Toshi said, his head bowed.

"Tamasine?"

"I think he would need a day to prepare, Master, but I do believe he is ready."

"Good," Ryu laughed. "I will visit him tonight, and give him his first mission. If he carries it out, then the Tenken will be secret weapon." The brothers got to their feet, bowing, and then took their leave. Once they were gone, Ryu turned to Tsunami and pulled her closer to him. He placed a hand on her abdomen. "Do you think me mad for going through so much trouble, just to kill one woman?"

"No," Tsunami said, placing her hands on either side of his face. "She is evil, for doing what she has done. We will use her weakness, we will use this Tenken, against her."

"Do you think it will work?" he asked her, voice low. He needed conformation, he needed someone to tell him that he was right. Tsunami was the only person he trusted to tell his deepest secrets and darkest doubts to. She harbored those secrets close to her heart, and she was both honest and sincere with him.

"I think it will work," she assured him, leaning down to kiss him firmly. There was no room for doubts, there was only room for confidence.

"Do you think I can really complete a mission for Master Ryu?" Soujiro asked his ninja advisors. They had returned to his training room in a flurry of pride, telling him that the Master himself wanted to bestow a mission on his this very night. Tamasine was insistent that whatever the mission, Soujiro was not to leave for it until the day after tomorrow. Tomorrow would be a day solely filled with training, and nothing else. There were no arguments. 

"I think you are ready Tenken," Toshi said with confidence. He patted the young man on the shoulder. "Whatever the mission is, accept it graciously. The Master always gives a tough assignment in the beginning, to see what a new soldier is made of."

Soujiro nodded, tightening his grip on the hilt of his sword. "Whatever it is, I will receive it with honor."

"Good," Tamasine said. "Because the Master has just arrived."

And indeed it was true. Mori Ryu himself walked into the training room with his head held high. Bandaged and now with a shirt, he still held a commanding appearance. His face was pale and he may have been quite weak in strength, but his ninja were his strength. Soujiro noticed a woman standing in the background, one he had caught glimpses of every now and then. She had come to view his progress with his two instructors, but she never remained long, and never wore a mask. He noticed her watching him closely now, with an expression akin to malice.

"Tenken," Ryu said with a calm voice. Soujiro went to one knee, his head bowed. As the ninja had told him, re removed the sheathed sword from his side and placed it in front of Ryu's feet.

"Master Ryu," he said calmly.

"My ninja have been telling me that you are quite skilled, and that I should induct you. What say you?"

Soujiro didn't look up. The ninja brothers had schooled him in this manner as well. "I believe, my Master, that I am as worthy as you say I am."

"Good answer," Ryu laughed, looking to the other ninja. "You have taught him well." Tamasine and Toshi both bowed. Ryu then turned back to the mission at hand. "Tenken, I have a mission that I would like you to exact. Do you accept?"

"I pledge my sword to you, my Master," Soujiro said clearly. "Until my Master release me, or death take me, any mission laid before my feet shall be exacted without fail or hesitation."

"Very good," Ryu laughed. "Here is your mission." He held out a hand and Tsunami, who had been waiting a few feet behind him in the shadows, came forward to place a folded paper in his hand. "On this paper is an address in Kyoto," Ryu explained, handing the paper to Soujiro. He took it without comment or interruption. "This is the address of my old partner, a man named Gama. I wish you to strike upon him a swift punishment."

"Master?" Soujiro asked, looking up in question.

"Kill him," Ryu said calmly. Soujiro bowed his head, swallowing the lump that had suddenly risen in his throat. He fought against the rapid beating of his heart.

"So you wish it," he said in a low voice. "So it shall be done."

"If you complete this mission, you shall become one of my minions," Ryu said with an underlying question.

"That is my will," Soujiro replied, getting to his feet and bowing. He picked up the forgotten sword and adjusted it to his belt. 

"Excellent," Ryu smiled. "Come Tsunami," he called as he turned and left.

"Tomorrow you will train," Tamasine said as he and Toshi also left. "Sleep well tonight, Tenken." Soujiro bowed and was left alone. There was a small space in the rear of this training room where Soujiro slept. A blanket was laid upon the floor, and there was a second for him to use as cover. 

Although he needed the rest offered, Soujiro did not want to sleep. Sleep brought too many dreams that he didn't understand, and did not want to remember. Dreams of blood and pain, dreams of fear and screaming. He didn't want to see those flashes. What frightened him was remembering what those dreams were. He feared the return of his memory.

After another few hours of training, as the torches in the room burned low, Soujiro gave in to exhaustion and curled up for sleep. It seemed that dreams engulfed him the moment his head was laid down, and the weight of training was lifted from his shoulders. Flashes met his unseeing eyes, and he reflexively curled tighter into a ball, trying to ward off unseen danger.

But this dream was not like the ones before it. It began as all the others did, with pain and fear and blood, but just as the dream grew farther into the chaos, the tide of red left his mind. He saw before his eyes, a river. It was crystal clear, broken only by jutting rocks and small rapids along the sandy banks. It was cold, the water, but crisp to the taste. A river with a sharp mineral taste, the kind that came from the deep mountains.

He also saw a bridge in the distance, one that made him think of far drops and angry mobs. He looked away from the bridge and further up the hill. There were gardens surrounding the riverbanks, gardens full of flowers and vegetables, bushes and trees. A jungle of a garden that was lovingly cared for by a gentle touch. After walking along the garden path, it opened into a clearing. That was wear he saw it, the small but beautiful house. There was a pen to the side, where a deer pranced around behind the thin wooden gate. The house seemed to beckon to him, making him feel safe and at home.

Soujiro walked slowly to the house, and stepped up on the porch. His hand reached for the door, about to slide it open, when it opened on its own. Standing in the doorway was a girl, looking at him strangely.

"Are you alright?" she asked. Her voice was slow, distorted in this dreamy space, but it was still familiar. The sound of it washed over him, filling him with a desperate longing to hear the real sound.

"Where am I?" Soujiro asked this girl in his dream. His voice was also slow and broken, unlike his own and yet still the same. The girl looked confused. Her hands moved to her hair, reflexively tucking it behind her ears. Her large green eyes blinked at him as if she didn't understand.

"What's the matter?" she asked him, reaching out to touch his arm. Soujiro flinched back. He didn't want her to touch him, it might wake him up. She looked hurt and still confused. "Soujiro?"

Soujiro. That name sparked something in him, some sort of lost feeling. Before he could ask her anything else, Soujiro was grabbed from behind. He was being dragged away from the house, a house that was now being set on fire by masked men. The girl, the beautiful girl with the green eyes, was being dragged off in another direction. She called out that name again. Soujiro. He struggled, but whatever had him was not letting go. She was being taken further away from him, the gap between them was growing farther and farther. "Akio!" he called out.

Suddenly, Soujiro sat up, panting hard. He had broken out in a cold sweat and he wildly looked around him. This was not a clearing in the mountains, this was the training room. The torches had all but gone out, and the shadows played across the walls. He placed a hand to his chest, feeling his pulse rocket and his heart slam against his ribs. Like all the other dreams before this one, it melted away into the muddy, murky mess that was his mind. Visions of the beautiful green-eyes girl were gone, and her name, which had been on the tip of his tongue, was lost. The house, the garden, even the river dulled until it faded from his mind. They were not to be rediscovered. There was only one thing he could remember from the dream, a feeling. There was a painful ache in his heart. It had taken him days to understand it. It felt as though his heart was breaking, but he couldn't remember why.

Sorry, no Reviewer Responses this chapter. It was too crazy, so I promise to do them for next chapter. Remember everyone, review! Now, I need a little reviewer response here, that is, if anyone reads these Author notes of mine. I'm thinking of making this a trilogy--that is, adding a third part once I finish with Wanderers. I put the plot idea on my bio page. If everyone who _cares_ could please look it up on my page and tell me what you think, I would really, **_really_** appreciate it. It's called **Seekers**. Please? If I plan another part of this, then I could fix the plot now to serve my means later. If no one wants a third part, than I'll scrap it and just end it after this story. Anyway, thanks for reading. Please remember to be kind and review?!

~~Jesse the Wolf Demon~~


	8. An Empty Place

Readers--Hey everyone, here's the next installment of Wanderers for you. Hey, I have officially found Akio's theme song! For all you die hard fans, it's called Evolution, by Ayumi Hamasaki. Check it out and let me know what you think! I love the song and I think it's just enough spunk to fit Akio's personality--not to mention when she lays a throw down, muhahah! Thanks for all the readers who still put up with me, love you guys! *sniffle* Enjoy!

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Chapter 8: A Empty Place

Days passed slowly for Akio. She worked harder than anyone had anticipated her to do so, even rivaling Kenshin when it came to domestic activities. He was surprised that she could not only do everything that he did, but she could do it better. Upon questioning, Akio only smiled and replied that for a long time, she had lived alone. Survival, is what she called it. That was when she had won Kenshin's respect.

Kaoru's had been given freely, but the added effects of work and the delightful way Akio had with baby Kenji only added to her growing fondness for the young woman. The greatest of the feats that the green-eyed girl performed was winning over Yahiko, an excellent meal and an agreement for a sparring match quickly remedied that situation. As for Sanosuke, he was caught between a rock and a hard place. At one side, he was mistrustful of this girl who was supposedly the wife of a boy that nearly killed Kenshin a few years ago. At the same time, he just couldn't understand how anyone related to his beloved Captain Sagara, much less his own daughter, could be anything but good at heart.

And so the afternoon came when Akio had to hold up her promise and finally have her match with Yahiko. He had been impatiently waiting for the match since she had promised him nearly three days before. Akio was a woman of her word, but she felt a little silly to be fighting with the boy. She had seen him practice, and he held extreme promise, but Akio had to admit without too much pride, that she was superior to him. Not only had she been training herself for a much longer period of time, Soujiro had also been training her the past year and her skill had improved greatly. 

Yahiko was doing his ritualistic bragging, saying that he would win this match hands down. Sanosuke, who had come to watch, was laughing at him. The two broke into a fight two moments later. Akio watched, amused, as she readied herself. As always, her outfit was the same, but her hair was getting a bit longer that normal so he was forced to bind it back. She also abandoned her grandfather's sword to use only her wooden weapon. Thus, she and Yahiko remained on even fields. 

Kaoru and Kenji sat on the step of the dojo, cheering Akio on. Kaoru had great confidence in her apprentice, and it was obvious to Akio that no one thought she held a candle to the boy. She smiled a little, but said nothing. Even Kenshin had abandoned his domestic duties to watch the long-awaited match. 

Yahiko practiced a few brief warm-up moves, then pulled a few that Akio asumed were meant to impress or intimidate her. She only smiled sweetly at him. Obviously the boy had never seen Soujiro in action, or else he would know little could impress quite like that boy. Akio took a deep breath, banishing all thoughts of her lover from her mind, or risk distraction, before moving slowly into a well-worn warm-up routine of movements.

"Hey Akio, are we going to get this done any time soon?" Yahiko heckled her. Akio smiled, but her eyes were closed.

"I had to wait for you to finish showing off," she said laughingly. "You can wait until I warm up."

"Is that what you're trying to do?" he accused. "Looks more like a bad dance to me."

"Ah, but you have not been trained in my village, therefore you do not know all styles of fighting, young man." 

Yahiko huffed and took a waiting stance. Akio copied his position, her sword at a forty-five degree angle from her body, lower than Yahiko's own sword. There were skeptical eyes on her as she took this position. For a few long moments, neither moved, than Yahiko charged forward.

"You'll have to do better than that," Akio laughed, side-stepping him quickly and easily, then flicking him on the back of the head with her sword. Yahiko lost his balance from the mediocre blow and had to recover quickly. He turned back at her, steaming and looking more determined. Akio saw he was trying to focus more and she smiled, crouching lower to the ground. 

Yahiko moved in closer, circling his prey like a cat about to pounce on a rabbit. But Akio was no rabbit, she was more the wolf in sheep's clothing. As soon as Yahiko was in her reach, Akio pounce forward, her sword deftly knocking his back and leaving her enough room to cuff him on the side of the head before throwing herself to the side and quickly regaining herself. Yahiko growled.

"What are you playing at?"

"Playing at?" Akio said, blinking her green eyes innocently at him. "What ever do you mean?"

"Fight for real!" he yelled at her.

"Are you sure you want my best?" Akio asked with a teasing smile. "I may be a girl, but I'm better than you give me credit for."

"I want you to fight me fair, and not all this playing around!" Yahiko dug in his heel and prepared for another launching attack. Akio braced herself as well, ready to intercept his attack. Soujiro's lessons flashed in her mind.

__

Step 1: Always watch your opponents chest, it will give away the side from which he will strike.

Akio watched as Yahiko readied himself, favoring the right arm over the left. Akio knew that would be the side from which he would try and attack her. She switched her stance, her left arm becoming the more dominant and her weight resting on her right side. She's cushion the blow, then turn it back on him.

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Step 2: Hold the sword as if it were an extension of your arm rather than a weapon. Guide it with your shoulders, elbows, and wrists, but do not put all your strength into one area. Keep it equally balanced.

Akio bent her elbows slightly and held the sword out to her side, like a batter about to swing across the plate. The strength of her limbs pooled at the three key joints in her arms, ready for action. Her legs were bent and tense, ready to rush or throw back at a moment's notice. If Yahiko wanted serious, then she'd give him serious.

Akio kicked a bit of dirt with her left foot, then sprang into action. It was a trick Soujiro had taught her. Speed up while staying low to the ground, then spring up right before your opponent can change his balance for a frontal, rather that lower, assault. Before most people watching could blink, Akio had moved across the yard and was attacking Yahiko full on. She swept his sword from his hands with a well-placed hit to his wrists, then she knocked him to his feet with a thrust to the back of his knees. Finally she stood over him, victorious, but not smiling.

"Happy now?" she asked as she looked down at him. He only blinked back up at her. Akio dropped her sword to the ground next to him. 

"How did you do that?" Yahiko asked when Akio reached down and grabbed his arm, pulling him up to his feet.

"My husband taught me a few tricks," she said with a half smile. "Plus, my village was populated by master swords crafters. Swordsmen from all over Japan came to us for weapons of all kinds. I used to watch them when I was growing up. Sometimes, if they were kind, they'd even teach us neighborhood kids a few moves here or there." 

"Sounds like a great place to group up a swordsman," Kenshin remarked from his watchful position.

"Or a swordswoman," Akio said regally, taking her hair from the tie and smiling. "And it was a nice place to be a child. The mountains are beautiful and tranquil."

"Why didn't you stay there?" Yahiko asked, retrieving his sword from it's fallen position.

Akio was silent a moment, then shook her head. "I had no reason to stay any longer." She was quiet a moment, hands clasped before her. "Have you ever seen a wild bird kept in a cage?" she mused. "You can always tell the wild one from the ones born behind bars. They always sing the sweetest because they long for open skies and tall trees."

"Poetic," Kaoru commented with a smile, shifting Kenji from one knee to the other.

"Well, that's what I first thought about Soujiro when I found him. He had been wounded and left for dead when I brought him back to my home and cared for him. I saw, over the days that he stayed with me, that he had this look to his eyes that made me think of open fields and clear skies. When the time came for him to leave, there was nothing I wanted more than to go with him, to stay at his side."

"But that was not the only reason, was it?" Kenshin said, watching her intently. He, a perceptive man as always, had read small signs in her face. "Something else made you leave."

Akio was quiet for a long time, having an almost staring contest with the violet-eyed man. When she finally sided in admission, she shifted her wait and squatted to the ground. In the dirt, her finger trailed about, forming loose shapes and making the image of a house with a large garden. "I already told Sanosuke basically all there was about me. My father left before I was born, and I never had the chance to meet him. My mother died when I was still a child. I was raised by my grandmother until she passed herself when I was about eleven. After that I was on my own.

"People in my village were never very kind. They had their reasons for disliking me, but it was still painful to be loathed and whispered about for so long. I hated the solitude, and the silence. The only thing that gave me joy was tending to animals. They'd always manage to find me, sickly or wounded creatures from all over the mountain. The only human friend I ever had was a boy named Ryu. He was bossy and controlling, and was always determined to marry me and tame me into the perfect wife. There might have been a time where I would have considered that offer."

"But?" Kaoru prompted. There was always a but in this kind of story. Akio looked up at her and smiled. 

"Then I met Soujiro, and my heart wouldn't let my life be easy." Akio chuckled a little. "It's funny. All it took was a wounded boy to turn everything I knew upside down. Ryu was never the person I thought he was, and tried to hurt Soujiro. My home was destroyed, my village nearly so, and still I was the one they feared. Once my home was gone, if felt that there was really no reason to stay in that place. So when Soujiro wandered again, I went with him. We'd been going about it quite well until recently."

"What happened?" Yahiko inquired, intrigued despite himself.

"Ryu was not as dead as everyone assumed. He's doubled his power, even if he is wounded so that he'll never wield a sword in battle again. He proves to be a far more admirable foe then I feared. So while my husband goes to confront this, my enemy, I must wait in blindness and fear."

Akio stood then, brushing the back of her hand over her eyes and hiding the tears that had suddenly pooled there. She smiled at those giving her sanctuary, and she bowed. "I thank you all for your kindness and your patience with my staying here. I would leave if you ask of me, but I must remain in Tokyo until Soujiro returns. There is nothing else I can do."

Kaoru understood perfectly. Love can hold sway over any heart, even one such as Seta Soujiro or such a girl as Sagara Akio. But the hour was growing late, a match had been won and a tale had been told. Dinner still had to be made so Kenshin excused himself to take care of that. Yahiko went about his chores, and Sanosuke followed Kenshin in the hopes of catching a free meal. This left Kaoru, Kenji, and Akio together. Kaoru motioned for Akio to sit beside her and the girl obliged.

Kenji watched and reached out to Akio. "May I?" she asked Kaoru. The mother smiled and settled the baby into Akio's lap. Kenji snuggled against Akio contentedly and sighed, sucking on his thumb.

"It seems that babies like you, Akio," Kaoru laughed, watching this.

"Babies and animals," Akio said with a serene smile. "They've always loved me."

"You'll make a good mother than," the older woman commented.

"I love babies," Akio said in a low voice. "Their eyes are so innocent and so clear. They hold so much possibility and potential, so much to do and to learn."

"Do you have any children?" Kaoru asked suddenly, unsure of the answer.

"No," the younger woman said sadly, her eyes darkening. "I was pregnant once, maybe half a year ago or so." She sighed and looked detached. "I became very sick and the baby didn't survive it. I was in bad nearly a month, and Soujiro stayed by my side every day. I was in so much pain for a long while after that because I had wanted that baby so badly." 

"But you're young yet Akio," Kaoru said compassionately. "I'm sure you could have another one."

"I know," Akio said with a smile. "But there will be no baby without a husband. If Soujiro doesn't come back...then I'll just be alone again." She wasn't looking for pity, Akio was only voicing her own doubts and concerns. "You see, Miss Kaoru, I would have at least liked to have had that baby. That way, if Soujiro himself was ever lost to me, I'd have that perfect part of him with me always."

Kaoru understood better than Akio could have realized, and she wished then, for the sake of the girl beside her, that Seta Soujiro somehow manage to find his way to Tokyo. Until he did, there would remain an empty place in this girl that no other person could ever fill.

Here we are, another teary chapter of Akio's patience and love. Muhaha! Next chapter--Soujiro goes to Kyoto to kill Gama! And who do we know that lives in Kyoto? Give you a clue--one's short with a braid and the other is tall and says little....They live at the Aoiya! Am I talking to myself here people? Geez! Okay, next chapter, guaranteed a good one, especially for all you who have been ever-so-patiently waiting for Aoshi's appearance! Shout-out time!

Ken: LOL, you want so badly for him to kill Ryu don't you? Well, I aim to please. Look out for the grand finale chapter and you won't be disappointed. By the way, have you read my idea for the third installment? Let me know if you do!

Dragons Maiden: Here is the update you were after. Enjoy! I'm supposed to get snow tomorrow and if I don't have school on Thursday, I'll see if I can get you a second chapter this week. If not, it'll be out on Monday! 

pruning shears: Thanks for the reading of the bio page, here is an update in honor of it. I totally appreciate your input and opinion. I actually took a long time in considering the name for Akio's daughter and I finally settled on Katana because of events that happen later in this story. Maybe by the end of Wanderers you'll see why I want to name her that. If you still don't like it at the end of Wanderers, I'll see if we can find something a little more suitable. Yahiko will make a breif appearance in it, probably. And if you've ever seen Samurai X: Reflections, then you'd know what happens when Kenji is fifteen. I won't ruin it, because it's really sad. 

Thanks to all who reviewed, you guys rock! Love you all. Until next chapter--Jesse the Wolf Demon!


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